Ritsumei
by Reenasavaar
Summary: We take for granted what we don't realise we have, and once it's gone; do we ever get it back? Slight AU, post DoC.
1. Chapter 1

_"Grossness,"_ the young woman stated simply. Turning her back on the reflection facing her, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. _What was I thinking?_ Shaking her head, she exhaled and made her way to the bathroom. Without switching on the light, she reached for the tap and turned the knob.

Taking a face cloth in her hand, she wet it before proceeding to thoroughly scrub her face. Beginning with her forehead, she then drew circles with her fingers across her temple, cheeks and chin. Closing her eyes, she began to rub her eyelids and finally her nose. Satisfied she'd done all she could, she reached for the towel beside the bath and dried her face.

In that instant, the previous night's events suddenly flitted across her mind. Before she could stop it, a single tear stroked down her left cheek. Throwing the towel in the washing basket, she stood up and moved towards the mirror.

Despite the room being near pitch black, she was able to see the outline of her face, as she felt fresh tears join the single droplet, on the descent down her cheeks. Raising her right hand, she wiped away the tears, only for more to join them. Furiously, she began wiping her eyes in a bid to stop new tears forming. However, this only served to produce more, causing the young woman to lightly punch the wall beside the mirror, in frustration at her apparent lack of self control.

Her thoughts lingering on last night, she brought her head to rest next to her fist and slowly sank to the floor. Holding her face in her hands, she allowed the tears to fall freely, as her mind began vividly replaying the events.

She had never thought it possible to feel so many different emotions at once, yet be unable to distinguish a single one. She felt her mind move in circles; round and round, back and forth, until she thought she would pass out.

The young woman repeatedly tried to steady her breathing and focus on clearing her mind, however, this only caused the images to grow more and more distinct. She opened her eyes, hoping to disrupt the barrage of scenes, and was gripped with fear, as violent tremors seized her once again. She held onto the sink for support, but soon felt her grip weakening and she collapsed, sobbing and shaking. The images seemed to surround her and she brought her trembling arms to her chest.

The young woman felt utterly powerless as the intense feelings washed over her. She wanted to _scream_, _shout_; do _anything_ to _make it __stop_, but all she could do was cry. Eventually, exhaustion loomed over her and closing her eyes, she gave into the despair and cried herself to sleep.

After what felt like hours of weeping, she decided it would be better if she simply went back to bed. Rising slowly, she took one last look in the mirror, before turning and walking into her bedroom.

Standing near the doorway, she glanced around the room. The wardrobe stood in the corner opposite her, next to the dressing table littered with items. Pictures hung from the pale blue walls and her bag was still waiting patiently on the chair beside the bed. She had risen with a start and was not surprised to see half of the duvet on the floor.

However, the piece of paper placed beneath a white mug of tea, on the bedside table, did not go unnoticed by the young woman, as she immediately moved towards it and lifted the cup, fully revealing the sheet of paper.

The strong waft of green tea suddenly assaulted her nostrils, making her wonder how she hadn't smelt it sooner. As her mind began to ponder this, she picked up the paper and almost dropped the tea. Her eyes wide and alert, she looked around the room once more, studying intently each detail she took in: the wardrobe, the dressing table, the unmade bed, the photographs on the wall, her bag on the chair, the _drawn_ curtains…that she hadn't drawn.

Looking towards the door, her suspicions were confirmed when she saw that it stood ever so slightly ajar, almost as if the person had intended to shut it, but thought better of it at the last moment. Placing the cup down gently, she looked at the paper, reading the words carefully:

_'Thought you might like something to drink. I left your bed as I figured you'd just want to rest today. If you do feel like eating something, I made some miso ramen so just help yourself. Marlene wanted to go to the movies and we agreed to take her, so don't wait up – we'll grab a bite to eat someplace after. Sleep well and see you in the morning._

_Love Tifa xxx'_

In spite of her distress she smiled, putting down the paper and looking at the tea in front of her. Moving to the side of the bed, she lifted the covers, wrapping them around her shoulders and picked up the mug. Sipping the tea, her thoughts once again turned to the night before, but this time, she was able to push the images aside and remind herself where she was. She was wrapped up in bed, drinking the most comforting tea, safe and warm.

In the morning, she would go down to the kitchen and see Cloud setting off to make his deliveries, and Marlene chirping happily to Tifa as she ate her breakfast. Tifa would look up at her entrance with the warmest smile, she once thought only her mother could give her.

Although this alone, wouldn't take away the pain she felt or the utter despair that filled her heart, but she knew it would ease her mind no end. There were few places where she truly felt at home and could relax long enough to let her guard down. 7th Heaven was one of those places. With that in mind, she sipped the last of her tea and settled back into bed, drew the covers around her and went into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

"I wonder how she's doing..." Tifa sighed.

"Who?"

"_Yuffie,_" she said.

"Oh."

"Oh? Is that all you can say? '_Oh_'? Cloud..."

"Tifa," he started, looking up from the papers on the desk in front of him. "Why don't you just ask her?"

"I have. She says she's fine."

"Well that's good, isn't it?" He said, returning to pour over the papers.

Tifa inwardly, groaned. She knew Yuffie was not fine; everything about her practically screamed it. It didn't matter how many times the ninja told her she was okay, or tried to reassure her that there was nothing wrong, Tifa knew that Yuffie was hiding something; she just couldn't figure out what it was.

After placing the last clean glass in the cabinet behind the bar, she joined Cloud at the table. Cloud had expected Tifa to continue talking about Yuffie, so when he only heard her sigh beside him, he looked up at her. He saw the concern etched into her features as she continued to frown. She briefly looked at him before turning to gaze out the window.

Reaching out to touch her hand, he said: "She'll tell you when she's ready, if there's something wrong."

"I know. I just hate the thought of her being alone in whatever she's dealing with. She always tries to put on a brave face. She says it's just stress at work but Cloud, I know there's more... Hm. Why won't she just tell me?"

"You worry too much. Yuffie's a strong girl." He paused, prompting Tifa to look at him. "She can take care of herself." He stopped again. "Besides, working with Vincent _is _stressful." Tifa smiled at this.

"When did you become a comedian?"

"I thought I'd try it out in case the business failed."

Tifa laughed then, her features brightening. Cloud watched as the warmth returned to her brown eyes. They both looked at one another for a long moment, before Tifa leaned over to give Cloud a kiss on the cheek and rose from the chair. "Thank you," she said, answering his unspoken question.

"Good night Cloud."

"Night Tifa."

Tifa ascended the stairs slowly, trying to push her worries aside. She stopped outside the room at the end of the corridor and gently eased the door open, peering inside. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the lack of light in the room, she faintly made out the form of the sleeping girl. She stood for a moment, watching the rise and fall of her chest on the bed. She briefly considered going inside before she stopped herself. _Maybe Cloud's right, _she thought.

"Good night Yuffie, sweet dreams," she whispered, quietly closing the door and walking to her bedroom.

Once inside, she went over to her dressing table and sat down on the stool. She looked at herself in the mirror for a minute before picking up her brush. She brushed her long ebony locks and thought about the day's events.

The morning had been quiet without Marlene to talk to and she hadn't seen Johnny. Yuffie came down after midday, mumbling about going to see a friend. Tifa didn't know who this friend was and when she asked her, Yuffie shrugged and told her it was someone from work. This surprised Tifa because she remembered Yuffie telling her how boring everyone was at work and she had never mentioned making any friends.

When she asked her what time she would return, Yuffie replied that she would be back before closing and quickly left. _They must be meeting close by_. Tifa didn't want to pry into Yuffie's personal life. They had become very close and she valued their friendship.

The rest of the day had passed by in a blur and she was grateful that the last customer left without a fuss. Cloud returned late and they had eaten in near silence, as per usual. At various points during the meal, Tifa had been sure he was watching her, yet she failed to catch his eye each time she looked at him. After that somewhat awkward meal, he excused himself to go and do some paperwork and she resumed cleaning the bar.

Replacing the brush on its stand, she made a mental note to call Marlene in the morning. She fingered the small portrait of the little girl in front of her and smiled. Tifa had been surprised when Barret left Marlene with them four years ago. So much had happened since then and her feelings towards the child had grown greatly. The thought that Barret would one day take his daughter back scared her and she tried hard not to think about it. She loved Marlene. She couldn't imagine life without her; she _wouldn't._

She heard a floorboad creak outside her room and turned to look at the door. She wondered if Cloud had come to ask her something. "Cloud?" When she didn't get a response, she rose quickly heading to the door and as she did, she distinctly heard retreating footsteps. When she opened her door, she just glimpsed the door at the far end of the corridor closing. _Yuffie_. She made to follow her but was stopped by Cloud climbing the stairs. He gave her a puzzled look. Deciding to leave it until morning, she bid him good night once more and returned to her room.

In bed, Tifa wondered what Yuffie had wanted. _Was she going to tell me what's wrong? Or maybe she just wanted to talk...but at 1 am? _Part of her wished she had just gone to Yuffie's room. _She obviously came to see me. _The other part of her was reluctant to confront the ninja. She felt Yuffie pulling away over the past few weeks and frankly, it made the martial artist unsure of how to approach her at times. This upset Tifa. She thought of how much time they had spent together the past year; the countless times they had talked long into the night.

Yuffie had shared so much with her. She opened up to her about growing up in Wutai, her tempestuous relationship with her father, and her reasons for leaving. She even told her about her mother. That had been the second time Tifa saw Yuffie cry. The tears had fallen steadily as she recounted how alone and lost she felt and how her relationship with her father had suffered as a result. Tifa had taken Yuffie into her arms and held her tightly, reassuring her that she was not alone; not anymore. Yuffie had smiled through her tears and thanked her.

Tifa had in turn shared much with Yuffie. She told her about life in Nibelheim with her parents and how she felt when her mother took ill and died. She hadn't even talked to Cloud about this and the words were caught in her throat at various points. Yuffie had attentively held her hand and stroked it softly, patiently waiting for her to continue. She recalled how she had gone on the journey over the mountain to see the spirit of her mother...

_"I was so scared. When Lina turned to go back, I almost went with her. I started thinking... I don't know. I just missed my mom so much. I had to see her again, no matter what."_

_"When I fell, I thought..." She trailed off._

_"...Tifa?"_

_There was a long pause before she continued. She squeezed onto Yuffie's hand._

_"I saw her," she breathed out. "She was smiling at me. I reached out to touch her...but she started to fade away."_

_"When everything went dark, I heard my father. I felt him stroke my hair and kiss my cheek. After I woke, I told him what I saw. He said it was probably a hallucination caused by the head trauma."_

_Looking directly at Yuffie, she whispered softly: "I know it was her. I saw my mom again Yuffie, I know I did." _

_The two sat in silence for a while, neither woman needing to say any more. She then went on to explain how the town had turned against Cloud and his mother. Yuffie noticed how disappointed Tifa seemed that she was never close to Cloud as a child._

_"When he asked me to meet him that night..."_

_"Yes..."_

_"It's silly."_

_"Dilly dally shilly shally~" Yuffie sang._

_"Yuffie."_

_"Dilly dally shilly shally~"_

_"I..."_

_"Dilly dally shilly shally, dilly dally shilly shally, dilly dally shilly shally, di-"_

_"Okay! I thought he was going to confess," she said, blushing._

_"Confess? Why, what did he do?" She asked, genuinely confused._

_Tifa held back a giggle as she smiled at Yuffie's expression._

_"His feelings. I hoped he... I hoped he felt the same way."_

_"Oooh. _That_ '_confess_'. Well? Did he?"_

_Tifa rolled her eyes. "No. He told me he was leaving to join SOLDIER."_

_Yuffie looked disappointed. "Well...did you tell him?"_

_"Hm?"_

"Tifaaa."

_"What Yuffie?"_

_"Don't play dumb. You know what I mean." When she saw the older woman look back at her and say nothing, she continued. "Did you tell him how you feel about him?"_

_The question caught Tifa off guard. She had expected Yuffie to drop it. She looked at her and saw the ninja looking back at her expectantly. She sighed._

_"I didn't, no."_

_"Why?"_

_"It was just a crush, Yuffie."_

_"But you're still in love with him," she said before she could stop herself. Tifa's eyes widened in shock and she gawked at her, blushing furiously. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, but found no words to speak. Tifa couldn't deny it, especially not now. Her reaction said it all. She looked away, but not before catching Yuffie's knowing look. _

_An awkward silence fell upon them as they remained seated on the bed. Tifa gazed around the dimly lit room. _Has Yuffie's room always been this small?_ She stood suddenly and moved towards the vanity. Her attention was captured by a medium sized photograph taped to the mirror; it was of the two of them laughing. Tifa smiled at the fond memory._

How do I begin when I don't even understand it myself?_ She frowned. She had to give the ninja credit: she was a lot more perceptive than she looked._

_Yuffie watched the martial artist standing by the mirror, seemingly lost in thought. She wondered if she hurt her feelings. She hadn't meant to be so blunt. Words just had a habit of tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was annoying and she remembered her teachers telling her it would only lead to trouble some day._

_She felt the bed depress as Tifa rejoined her. "I don't know," she stated, answering the ninja's previous question. "I guess...I...missed my chance." She whispered the last three words faintly, Yuffie straining to hear them. _

_"There's still time," she responded hastily. Immediately, Yuffie realised she'd said that out loud and hesitantly turned to face Tifa. Tifa was still looking ahead with a forlorn expression. Yuffie scratched the back of her right hand, feeling uncomfortable._

_"Didn't you see him again before you came to Midgar?" She pressed, unable to contain herself._

_"I..." Pain flashed across her features and Yuffie moved close to her on the bed._

_"Tifa?"_

_"..."_

_"I heard that Nibelheim was..." She paused, trying to find the right words. "...after...there was a fire..."_

_She looked at Tifa_ _and saw that the older woman was crying._

_"You don't have to tell me. If it's too painful." Yuffie inwardly cursed herself. _How could I make Tifa cry?_ "I'm sorry. Forget I asked." Seeing Yuffie's worried expression and feeling her wet cheeks, she realised she was crying. _

_"It's okay Yuffie, really," she said, squeezing the younger girl's hand. Yuffie wasn't convinced, but remained quiet._

_Silence filled the room once more. A weight lifted from the bed and Yuffie looked up. "I should go to bed. I don't want to keep you up late, especially with work in the morning..." She trailed off. _

_"Uhh, okay." Yuffie wanted to stop her, but words failed her, and she honestly wasn't sure what was going on; she just stared dumbly after Tifa as she moved towards the door._

_"Good night Yuffie, see you in the morning." With that said, she left._

_Yuffie shook her head. "Yuffie. You're an idiot."_

Tifa stared at the ceiling. She wished she hadn't left the way she did that night. She remembered seeing Yuffie's guilty face the next morning. _Why couldn't I just tell her? _Sighing again, Tifa tried to push the painful memory away. After tossing and turning for a while, she looked at the clock and saw that it was already 2:30 am. _Great._ Glancing at her bedside table_,_ she realised she had forgotten to bring a glass of water with her. Pushing the covers down, she stepped out of bed and headed to the door.

She paused at the top of the stairs and looked towards Yuffie's room. The barmaid thought again about going to check on the young ninja. She was brought out of her reverie when she heard the small sound of the wall clock behind her. She continued downstairs and entered the kitchen.

It was a modest size, but Tifa thought it served their needs well enough. She probably would have chosen a different style; aesthetics wasn't Cloud or Barret's forte. She laughed to herself at the memory of the two men building the room she was standing in. As with rest of the house, she had offered to help but was refused; _this was man's work. _She imagined Yuffie's indignant response: _sexist. _ She absentmindedly drummed her left fingers on the sink. Taking a glass from the cupboard, she ran the tap and filled her glass.

She turned and almost dropped her glass. "Yuffie!" She calmed herself before continuing. "I didn't hear you..."

Yuffie didn't respond. She simply opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle.

"Yuffie...?"

"Night," she responded, turning to leave. Tifa quickly placed her glass down and went after her, touching her back.

Yuffie immediatley dropped her bottle screaming. Tifa stopped dead in her tracks, removing her hand as if she'd been burnt. Looking like a deer caught in headlights, Yuffie stood before her transfixed. She visibly blanched.

"Yuf-" Tifa wasn't able to finish, as she watched Yuffie turn and run up the stairs. Dumbfounded, Tifa stared after her. _She looked petrified. _She hadn't meant to frighten her. She just wanted to talk. Seeing Yuffie's terrified expression unsettled her deeply. Holding her right hand to her chest, she took a sip of water to calm her nerves.

Feeling tiredness begin to creep upon her, she drank the rest of the water and returned to her room. As she settled back under the covers, she made another mental note to talk to Yuffie in the morning.

* * *

Cloud woke to the sound of his alarm at 6:30 am. He rose slowly, hitting the stop button on the small, neon green, clock Tifa had bought for him. He sat still for a moment. He was almost certain he heard screaming coming from downstairs last night. _Unless, it was just dream. _He shook the thought from his head, not wanting to dwell on it; he'd ask Tifa later. He smiled as his mind wandered to the buxom brunette.

He stood and went to the bathroom. His muscles relaxed as the water cascaded down his back and he gave a contented sigh. He reached for the shampoo on the ledge above him and squeezed some onto his hand. Slowly, he massaged the gel into his scalp and hair. Before he could stop himself, he imagined small, slender hands replacing his. Exhaling deeply, Cloud shook his head. _Not now. _The water suddenly ran cold as he turned the dial and he watched as the suds drained away.

After his cold shower, Cloud dressed quickly and went downstairs. It was still dark as the Sun had not yet risen. He looked around hoping to see Tifa, but was disappointed when he didn't spot the barmaid. Cloud moved into the kitchen and almost tripped over something. Looking down, he saw a blue bottle lying on the floor. He picked it up and placed it on the table. Opening the refrigerator, he immediately spied a familiar container perched on the middle shelf. This time, he saw there was a note attached. Pulling it free, he read:

_'I thought I'd try something new. I hope you like it. _

_See you at home. _

_Tifa x'_

Cloud smiled and took out the metal container. He was certain he would like it. There wasn't a dish Tifa cooked that he didn't love, though he never said as much. _Maybe one day I should. _He then proceeded to make himself coffee, which he drank deeply. Glancing at the clock, he saw that it was almost time to leave for his first delivery. He was heading to Kalm this morning and he wanted to leave in good time. Setting his empty cup down, he reached for his lunch and turning, he saw a figure walking into the bar area.

"Tifa?" He followed and watched as Yuffie stood by the door, almost as if she was waiting.

She turned to face him, a large smile on her face. "Morning Cloud," she sang. "You're up early."

"I have work," he deadpanned.

"Right, of course you do..."

Seeing her shifting uneasily, he softened. "I'm not the only early riser."

"Yeah..."

When she didn't volunteer anymore, Cloud considered enquiring further. He was no fan of small talk. Since Yuffie had started living with them, he had grown accustomed to her sometimes incessant rambling that he often struggled to follow. Seeing her apparently lost for words was new.

"I have to get going. I'll see you later." He turned to look back at her as he reached the door to the garage. She was still standing by the door with a pained expression on her features. _Maybe something __**is**__ up with her. _

As he pushed Fenrir outside, he felt his pocket vibrate, signalling a call. Ignoring it, he settled onto the bike and sped off.

He reached Kalm in record time and his first customer gave him a generous tip in gratitude. The rest of the morning passed at its usual pace. He stopped for lunch just outside town. He took out the container and opened it. Cloud smiled. He ate quickly, savouring each bite; thinking of the barmaid. Cloud hadn't asked Tifa to make him lunch each day, but he was grateful for her doing so. He never told her how much he appreciated what she did for him. Flipping open his phone, he pulled up the menu and selected voicemail.

_"You have one new message. Message received today: at 7:25 am."_

_"..."_

Cloud waited for the person to speak but no voice came through. After listening to the thirty second message twice more, he concluded that the person had dialled his number accidently, not realising they had left a voicemail. He deleted the message and checked the call log. Tifa's name appeared several times, followed by Yuffie and occasionally Barret. Cid never called his cell phone and he wasn't sure if Vincent even used his phone, despite Yuffie buying him one.

The top entry caught his attention. _Unknown. _He clicked on the entry and saw that it matched the time he received the voicemail.

Who was calling him so early in the morning? He didn't give his cell number out to anyone aside from his friends. In fact, it was _Tifa_ who had given his number to their friends. His customers rang the bar and Tifa would call him if any of the deliveries were urgent. A loud ring disturbed his musings and he answered instinctively.

"Cloud."

"Yo Spike! _You actually answer your phone_?" Barret sounded genuinely surprised. He had obviously been anticipating leaving another voicemail.

"Yeah, sometimes," Cloud said, scratching his head. "Did you need something?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. You free this weekend?"

"I don't have anything planned."

"Well, I got us a job."

Cloud waited for Barret to elaborate and sighed when he didn't.

"Is it a secret?"

"What?"

"The job."

"Ah, nah. It's no secret." He laughed. "Sorry Spike, I'm just a bi-" Cloud could just make out the sound of a young girl who he assumed to be Marlene.

"Is something wrong Barret?"

There was a pause before he answered. "Marlene...she had an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yeah."

Cloud knew Barret was not an eloquent speaker, but even he could do better than this. "What happened?"

"It's nothing serious, Spike."

Deciding to cut to the chase, Cloud offered: "You don't want Tifa to find out, but you know Marlene will tell her what happened."

"..."

"What do you want me to do?"

"Er, could you pick her up on Friday?"

Cloud shook his head. Barret wanted him to drive all the way to collect Marlene, drop her home with Tifa, and then drive out to meet him again? "Fine."

"Alright! I'll have her ready for when you get here. I'll tell you about the job when I see you. I owe you one Cloud."

"I have to go."

"Don't let me keep you. Glad I caught you at last, Spike." He laughed again. "See you on Friday." Marlene could also be heard faintly speaking.

"Bye Cloud!"

Cloud ended the call and got back on his bike. He looked at his watch. He only had three more deliveries until he was finished for the day. Looking towards the Sun, he placed his sunglasses over his eyes and started the engine. He gave a brief thought to his earlier mystery call as he rode into the city.

* * *

Tifa massaged her temple gently. Staying up until 4 am was _not _a good idea. She moved towards the door and opened it. In about an hour her first customers would be arriving. Reina, the new part time waitress, had called in sick; again. _That girl has either got the worst immune system or she has the worst work ethic. _Tifa had a suspicion that it was the latter but she didn't dwell on it; her headache was bad enough as it was.

After their encounter last night, Yuffie had gone all out to prove she was fine and honestly, it had been painful for Tifa to watch. The huge fake smile she had plastered on her face practically cracked at the seams. Though she laughed and joked with her as they went about the household chores, Tifa saw through her forced playfulness. Whenever the ninja thought she wasn't looking, her smile would vanish only to be replaced by a look of deep sadness. _How long is she going to keep this up?_

Yuffie had cooked lunch and explained away what happened in the kitchen last night, by telling her that she didn't even remember coming down. She suggested that she may have been sleep walking and laughed. The whole time she avoided looking Tifa in the eyes. Tifa hadn't pressed her further, she only nodded and agreed. She wasn't sure what happened herself. The way Yuffie reacted had scared her. After washing the dishes, Yuffie told her that she was going for a walk and would be back soon.

Tifa looked at the clock. It was 2:30 pm. She had only been gone for two hours, but Tifa was starting to worry. She had offered to join her, but Yuffie had politely declined. The barmaid reached for her phone. _I'll just send her a message. _She had only just finished writing the text when Yuffie burst in the front door looking flustered.

"Yuffie! What's wrong?"

"Huh? Nothing boobs. Why?"

She really wasn't fond of her nickname. "Was someone chasing you? You look..."

_"Chasing me?"_ The ninja laughed, wiping her forehead. "Relax Tifa, I was just running fast to get back in time."

"For what?"

"Opening. It's in half an hour."

Tifa gave the younger woman a perplexed look, not understanding.

"I saw Johnny while I was out and he told me about Reina. Apparently she's sick, _a lot_. Anyway, I came home as soon as I could."

"I'm sorry Yuffie, I'm still not following you. How does Reina being sick have anything to do with you rushing ba... Oh." Yuffie was going to fill in today?

Confirming her thoughts, Yuffie moved to the stairs and called behind her. "I'll just grab a quick shower and be down in twenty."

Tifa hadn't expected this. She was grateful for the offer of help, but she knew she could manage on her own. Her head throbbed again painfully. Maybe having Yuffie around today would take the pressure off a bit. It didn't usually get busy until after 6 pm. She picked up her phone and erased the message she'd written only moments ago. She rubbed her temple again, hoping to ease the pain. Tifa looked up as a familiar face appeared at the doorway.

"What'll it be, Johnny?"

"The usual, Lockhart."

She grinned at him, as she prepared his drink. When he reached for his wallet, she shook her head.

"It's on the house," she said, looking at Yuffie as she made her way into the bar. Johnny returned her smile with a wink.

The ninja grabbed an apron and tied it around her waist. She then went into the kitchen.

"Thanks for finding me a replacement."

* * *

The bar was much busier than it usually was on a Monday night. Tifa was planning to tell Yuffie she could finish early, but looking around at the packed room, she was glad for the continued help. From what she could gather, a crew of workmen were in town and they had decided to stop by after a job well done. They had been drinking for hours and seemed nowhere near stopping any time soon. Tifa just hoped they wouldn't be difficult at closing time. _Only two hours to go. _

Yuffie had been amazing. She really seemed to have a knack for waitressing. She was polite and courteous, could balance more glasses than she thought possible, and she even laughed at the customers' awful jokes. Ever so often, Tifa would catch her eye and see a look of genuine happiness on her face. Tifa beamed at her, feeling relieved. She had been worried that Yuffie would struggle to cope with the mass of people piling into the bar after work. The ninja appeared to take it in her stride; weaving inbetween the bodies to serve the food and drinks.

A large cheer erupted from the corner of the bar. "Another round of BOOZE~!" The leader shouted over at Tifa.

Chuckling, Yuffie joined her behind the bar to help prepare the drinks. As she moved to take them on the tray, Tifa held her arm. "I'll go."

"Boobs, it's cool. I got this," she said, winking. The barmaid watched as she deftly made her way through the crowd. An impatient grunt, returned her attention to the growing queue in front of her, and she smiled apologetically as she took orders and prepared their drinks in rapid succession.

Yuffie approached the large table in the far corner of the bar and set the tray down. Six pairs of eyes darted in her direction. She tried to shake the feeling of unease she felt under their gaze. She called out each drink and passed them to the intended recipient. When she handed the last drink, a glass of Awamori, to the bearded man nearest her, she felt a finger stroke her hand. She pulled back in surprise almost knocking over the glass.

"I haven't seen you around here before." He smirked.

Ignoring him and her growing discomfort, she said politely: "Will that be all, gentlemen?" When they answered affirmatively, Yuffie moved to return to the bar, but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Trying not to panic, she looked up at the owner. His dark brown eyes regarded her as she noticed the large scar running down his left cheek.

"Yes, sir? Is there something else I can get you?"

"How about your number?" He replied. Yuffie nearly cringed. Was he serious? _He looks older than Godo. _"I have to be getting back to the bar now sir."

"Ah, come on baby. Maybe we could get to _know _each other," he said, staring directly at her chest. "What time do you finish?"

Yuffie started to feel sick. She had to get away, _fast. _She smiled and turned to leave. She heard a loud clatter and saw the tray lying on the floor. Sighing, she bent over to pick it up. Almost as soon as she touched the tray, she stiffened as she felt a hand cupping her ass. She wasn't sure, but she thought she heard him speak again.

Her chest suddenly felt tight and the room began to swim as she looked up. _Please, not now. _She knew she was shaking but from her perspective, it looked as if the whole room was spinning. All the bodies in the bar seemed to merge into a large swirling mass around her. Closing her eyes, she tried to regain composure and shake off the growing panic threatening to consume her.

She realised her mistake when the images she'd tried desperately to forget, flickered across her mind and a familiar buzzing sound reached her ears. Yuffie could taste the bile in her mouth. She tried reaching out to touch the table, but felt a wet sensation on her hands. Puzzled, she opened her eyes. She definitely wasn't in 7th Heaven anymore. Everything: the people, the noise, the colour, was gone. All she saw was black.

"W-where am I? T-Tifa...?" She flinched when she heard a sound in the distance. "Who's there?" The sound came again, slightly louder than before. Yuffie strained her ears over the buzzing to try and make out what it was she heard. There was still no response. When she heard the noise thrice again, growing steadily louder, she shuddered. _It's getting closer. _The realisation chilled the ninja to the bone.

"I-I can h-hear you! Who a-are you?!" She was unable to keep the fear from her voice. The noise stopped suddenly and a deathly silence replaced it. This only served to frighten her more. _I have to get out of here. _

Shakily, she got to her feet and looked around. She was in complete darkness. _Where am I? _She took deep breaths, trying to steady her hammering heart that seemed intent on bursting through her chest. _This is probably just a dream; a nightmare or something. It's not real. _A loud _**bang**_ drew her attention. Though she couldn't see, Yuffie was certain whatever it was that had been making the earlier sounds, was now right in front of her.

Gingerly, she took a few steps back and jumped when she hit something solid. Before she could turn around to investigate, she heard it again, clearly this time; _chains_. She screamed as laughter rang in her ears. She then felt herself falling and her eyelids began to feel heavy. "N-no..." _I have to stay awake. _"I c-can't..."

As her eyelids fluttered closed, Yuffie was sure she saw a white light glowing in the distance.

* * *

_**Final Fantasy, Square Enix, the Square Enix logo, Squaresoft and the Squaresoft logo are registered trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.**_

_**Awamori**_ [a-wa-mo-li] _is a whiskey from the Ryukyu Islands._


	2. Chapter 2

Yuffie woke with a start. Sitting up, her eyes scanned the room. Seeing the familiar surroundings, she breathed a sigh of relief. _It was just a dream. _The ninja left her bed and walked over to the dressing table. She reached for the switch and was momentarily stunned by the bright light dazzling her eyes. She stared at her reflection for a moment. Noticing the bags under her eyes, Yuffie sighed again. "I look like _Hell_."

She hadn't been sleeping well for weeks and it showed. Yuffie was sure Tifa knew something was wrong. If her continual questions about how she was, hadn't been enough of a give away, the worried expression she wore, each time she saw the ninja, was. Trying to reassure the barmaid she was fine, by being as cheerful as possible, had long since ceased to work; Tifa just wasn't buying it, not anymore.

She knew Tifa would ask her about what happened in the bar last night and honestly, she didn't know herself. The memory of the man touching her, as she bent down, briefly flashed through her mind. Yuffie wished she could forget how terrified she felt. _That's what you get for wearing a miniskirt in a bar full of drunk men. _She laughed bitterly to herself. Though the thought of him caressing her sickened Yuffie, it was the least of her worries right now. _I had a panic attack, in public._ The realisation hit her suddenly and she groaned, looking at the ceiling. She felt the tears coming again and Yuffie knew she was just too exhausted to fight them.

A gentle knock at the door halted her weeping and she quickly wiped her tears, trying to steady her breathing. "Y-yes?"

"Yuffie…" Tifa paused as Yuffie held her breath. "May I come in?"

Yuffie panicked. _She __**cannot**__ see me like this!_ Taking a t-shirt in her hands, she dried her eyes. She stood quickly, looking around the room for _anything_, to help her face look less like she had just been crying her eyes out. She cursed in frustration, glancing at the door. Tifa was still waiting patiently on the other side. If she didn't let her in, she knew Tifa would just worry about her more, but if she did… Yuffie went over to the dresser and switched off the light. Sending a hopeless prayer to the Gods, she opened the door slowly.

"Morning Tifa." She stepped aside to let the older woman into the room.

"Yuffie. Good morning."

The two women stood awkwardly for a moment. Recovering quickly, Yuffie turned to Tifa and smiled.

"Did you sleep well?"

_I could ask you the same question. _Deciding to play along, Tifa replied. "I did. Much better than usual actually. I guess I really needed the rest."

"That's good," Yuffie replied.

"What about you, Yuffie? Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty good, thanks."

Tifa studied the ninja's face. Despite the faint light filtering into the room, she could clearly see that Yuffie had been crying. This only confirmed what she thought she heard in the corridor. _She was weeping._

"About what happened last night…"

"Tifa it's fine. Honestly." She saw the look of disbelief on the older woman's face. "It was har-"

"Yuffie, you don't have to pretend. I know-"

"Know what?!"

She heard the edge in her voice. "…how it feels. When guys… I guess it comes with the job, but that doesn't make it right. Yuffie, I'm sorry. I should never have put you in that position." Tifa looked genuinely remorseful and this only made Yuffie feel worse.

"Tifa. I'm not blaming you." She tried to keep her voice steady as the memory resurfaced. "What happened… It just shocked me. I-I wasn't expecting it; I was caught off guard…" She trailed off, unable to continue.

"Oh Yuffie…" Tifa moved closer to her and Yuffie flinched. The hurt look on Tifa's face only increased her guilt, but Yuffie remained silent. As the martial artist made her way to the door, she spoke clearly. "I won't be opening the bar today. I thought…" She then turned around to face Yuffie. "If you want to talk Yuffie, I'm here. Remember, you're _not_ alone."

When she heard the last of the footsteps on the stairs, Yuffie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She felt Tifa's gaze lingering on her eyes and was thankful she hadn't mentioned it. She moved over to the window and drew the curtains slightly. It was pouring with rain outside. _Guess I'm not the only one feeling sad._

* * *

"I'm coming,_ I'm coming." _Grabbing the phone on the last ring, she answered. "Strife's Delivery Service. You name it, we deliver i-"

"Tifa."

"_Cloud?!_ Why are you calling?" Surprise was evident in her voice.

The blonde laughed. "You didn't answer your phone."

"What? My phone is right here…" Feeling her sides, Tifa realised she wasn't wearing her usual work clothes. She had opted for a blue dress that morning. "I guess not. Sorry Cloud, I must have left it in my room. Is something wrong?"

"That's why I called: to find out."

Tifa furrowed her brow in confusion. Cloud sensed her uncertainty and clarified. "Yuffie."

"Oh."

"_Oh?_"

"What about Yuffie?" Cloud wondered if Tifa was in a bad mood.

"What happened last night, Tifa? You don't normally close early, not on a busy night like that." Cloud had been making his last delivery in Edge and had ridden past the heaving bar.

"Yuffie, she…" Tifa knew she wouldn't want her to say anything. "…had an accident."

"An accident?"

"It was nothing serious. Things were pretty crazy with all the people and I had a massive headache. I just couldn't make it until midnight."

"Is she okay now?"

"She's fine Cloud." Tifa lied.

Cloud could tell something was bothering Tifa, though she didn't say it.

"What time will you be home?"

"…late. I'm sorry. I know you said you would close the bar today."

"It's okay." Changing the subject, she asked: "Did you like the rafutee?"

"Yes."

"_Really?"_ He smirked. Was she fishing for compliments?

"Tifa. It was delicious. Thank you."

She smiled. "I'm glad."

The blonde slowly started the engine. "I should go."

"Okay." The martial artist sounded disappointed. "Be safe. See you at home."

"Bye."

Tifa knew that Cloud only worked very late when Marlene was staying with Barret. She just wished they spent more time together. Realising she was still standing in his room, she turned to leave. The martial artist looked up and saw Yuffie standing in the doorway. She stood still, watching the ninja. Yuffie mirrored her actions.

"That dress really suits you."

"Thanks."

_How long has she been standing there?_

"I heard the phone ringing and I came to answer it. You beat me to it."

"Yuffie, about what I said…"

"It _was_ an accident. He just got lucky." Yuffie gave a small chuckle. "It's fine. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Tifa wanted to say that 'he just got lucky' really didn't cut it, but she knew behind Yuffie's smile was a message: _I just want to forget about it and move on_.

"So you made him _rafutee_?" Tifa didn't miss her teasing tone.

"…yes."

"Is there any left over?"

The question surprised Tifa and she couldn't help but grin.

"You bet."

* * *

Cloud stepped off his bike and parked it in the garage. He was certain Yuffie and Tifa had already gone to bed. He would try to make it up to Tifa. By making the extra deliveries this evening, he would have fewer to make tomorrow. _Today_, he realised looking at the time. It was _1:30 am. _Tifa would definitely have something to say when she saw him. She was always telling him not to work too hard.

He walked into the silent bar and then to the kitchen. He placed his used food container in the sink and took a clean glass from the draining board. The cool water was very refreshing. Cloud thought about the day ahead and smiled. He quietly ascended the stairs and headed straight for his room. The smell of freshly laundered sheets struck him instantly. He could tell Tifa had cleaned his room.

The moonlight coming in from the window illuminated his desk, which he saw was now free of clutter. His work papers were neatly arranged in tidy piles, with sticky notes attached to each one. Looking around, he also noticed that the clothes he'd left scattered across the room had vanished. _She's been a busy girl._ Smiling at the image of Tifa hard at work, Cloud settled into bed.

* * *

Cloud woke to the smell of sizzling bacon. He sat up stretching and looked at the time. He didn't often get to sleep this late. He showered quickly and went downstairs. He was met with the sight of Tifa bent over, rummaging for something in the cupboard. The barmaid was dressed differently today. She had on a red tank top and a black pleated skirt. Instead of her usual canvas shoes, she was wearing ankle high boots. Cloud stared appreciatively for a few seconds, before looking away and clearing his throat.

"Oh shoot!" Tifa rubbed her head as she stood upright.

"Sorry Tifa."

"It's fine. Take a seat, I'll be right out."

Cloud moved into the bar and sat down at the table marked with plates and utensils. Tifa followed moments later with a serving dish full of bacon and sausages. She uncovered another dish, revealing the omelettes. Cloud also noted the freshly made bread.

"Coffee?"

"Thanks." As she poured him a cup, Cloud saw that there were only two places set. "Where's Yuffie?"

"She had a meeting at work so she had to leave early."

"So it's just the two of us?" Cloud hadn't intended it to sound pleading.

"I guess so," Tifa said simply. "What time did you get in last night?"

He'd been expecting this. "After 1."

"After 1?" She cut into a sausage, looking directly at him. "Huh."

He was surprised when she didn't say anymore, instead, telling him about her day with Yuffie.

"We had a really fun time. It was good to see her so happy," she finished, a wistful look on her face.

"That's good to hear."

"So how was your day?"

"Uneventful." This earnt him a frown from the brunette. "Tifa. Do you have anything planned today before you open?"

"Not really. Why?"

"There's something I want to show you."

"Oh, okay. What is it?"

"When we get there, you'll see."

Tifa looked up at this, quirking her eyebrow. Drinking the rest of his coffee, he stood from the table.

"Thanks for breakfast." Watching Tifa take her last bite of bread, he asked: "How long will it take you to get ready?"

"Uh, I'm ready now. Just let me clear away the plates and I'll just grab my coat."

"I'll do the plates. It's the least I can do. Get your coat and meet me in the garage in ten minutes."

Without another word, Cloud began clearing up the breakfast dishes and taking them into the kitchen. Tifa watched him go and walked to the stairs. She stared briefly at his back as he cleaned the plates, before making her way upstairs. In her room, Tifa checked her reflection in the mirror. She had opted against wearing lipstick and only applied black eyeliner. _It's not like this is a date or anything. Get ahold of yourself Tifa. _She grabbed her brush and quickly went over her hair. Taking her coat, she closed the door behind her and went downstairs. Cloud looked up at her entrance. She followed him as he pushed Fenrir outside.

"What time are you opening today?"

"At 4."

He got on and Tifa paused. _Where are we going?_ When she felt his eyes watching her, she hopped on the back and held onto his waist. He put on his glasses and revved the engine.

"I'll have you back by 3."

Tifa held tighter as they sped off, closing her eyes. She had to admit: she was excited.

* * *

Yuffie kicked the ground as she walked, thinking about the meeting she just came from. Reeve had been sympathetic, but still insisted that she take leave. _"Think of it as a sabbatical."_ Though she had protested and even offered to be on desk duty, Reeve held firm. She couldn't look Vincent in the eye after she stormed out of Reeve's office. It was just too much; she didn't need his pity.

Yuffie didn't know how she was going to explain this to Tifa. She considered pretending to go to work each day, but rejected the idea, knowing the barmaid would figure it out soon enough. _I'll just have to tell her. Unless…_ A new idea formed in the ninja's head as she touched the bag at her side. Lost in her thoughts, she didn't see the man walking towards her.

"Ouch! Watch it!" She shouted angrily, rubbing her chest.

"Sorry Yuffie."

"Huh? Johnny? Oh…"

"Good thing I caught you. I was just on my way to the bar."

"How come?"

"I was just going to drop this off." He held up the small box he was carrying.

"I can take it for you, if you want," she offered.

"That'd be great Yuffie," he smiled, handing her the box. "So…"

"So?"

Johnny laughed. "How was Monday? I heard the bar was packed. Must have been a crazy night. I bet Tifa was glad you helped out."

Yuffie grimaced, the memory rearing its ugly head. "It was okay," she managed.

"Just 'okay'? You don't sound like you enjoyed it much," Johnny commented. He put his hands in his pockets. "I noticed the bar wasn't open yesterday…di-?"

"Look Johnny, I'm kinda in a hurry…" She was starting to feel irritated.

"Sure. Sorry to keep you." He stood for a moment regarding her. "I guess I'll see you around." She watched as he walked back down the street and turned left.

Yuffie felt her head spinning and she knew she had to get home, quickly. She tried to take deep breaths as she walked briskly back to the bar. As she rounded the last corner, she was certain she saw Cloud and Tifa riding on Fenrir, heading out of town. Yuffie pushed into the bar and sat down on a nearby chair. She examined the small box, wondering what was inside. _Maybe I should have asked. _She placed the box on the table and got up. A grumble from her stomach, reminded Yuffie that she forgot to eat breakfast before leaving. In the kitchen, she saw a note attached to the refrigerator.

_'Yuffie. You really shouldn't leave without breakfast. _

_I left some food for you in the oven._

_Please__ finish it._

_Tifa x'_

"Yes, _mom_." Yuffie went over to the oven and opened it. She was greeted with the sight of a feast and her mouth watered in anticipation. She made short work of the bacon, eggs and sausages. The ninja let out a contented sigh when she finished the last slice of walnut bread.

Yuffie sat still for a moment, thinking. She didn't mean to lose her temper. Part of her was sorry about what happened, yet the other part, she knew, given another chance: would have punched him again. _The guy's a chauvinistic pig_, she thought bitterly. Yuffie knew she shouldn't have let him get to her; normally, she wouldn't. The ninja recalled the conversation she had with Reeve.

_Yuffie knocked lightly on the large oak door. "Come in Yuffie." Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door and stepped inside the office. _

_Reeve's office had always been impressive. The WRO Head had a taste for fine art and he had many exquisite paintings on display. Yuffie had often wondered who the woman in the picture above the doorway was. Her striking blue eyes seemed almost to pierce the soul. Though they bore no physical resemblance, Yuffie was always reminded of her mother when she stared at the portrait. This both soothed and unnerved her. Perhaps looking at the painting gave Reeve some reassurance?_

_Bookshelves lined the walls behind his desk and they were crammed full of volumes on a variety of topics. Yuffie remembered the many times she'd been bored while she waited in his office previously; passing the time perusing through the many titles he had on _'The Wonders Of Wutai'_. She smiled at the memory. Yuffie had been sure she knew all there was to know about the _'wonders' _of her country, but even she found herself amazed at the hidden facts she'd learnt. _

_A tapping sound brought Yuffie out of her reverie._

"_Did you hear what I said?"_

"_Huh? Oh sorry…" _Great. I spaced out, again.

"_Take a seat, Yuffie. I'm sorry to call you in so early. I have to leave at 9 and I wanted to see you before then."_

"_That's cool. I'm used to early starts Reeve." Biting the bullet, she continued. "So what did you need to see me about?"_

"_I saw Blair-"_

"_It was an accident. I mean, I didn't mean for it to happen. We were just having a heated discuss-"_

"_and he said he was worried about you."_

"_What?" She had not been expecting this._

"_We all are."_

"_What do you mean, '_we_'_?"

"_I would be willing to overlook this last incident, if it wasn't for the fact that I have also noticed the change in your behaviour."_

Change in my behaviour? _"Reeve, what are you talking about? There's no change in my behaviour. I just had a bad day is all."_

"_You seem to be having a lot of them recently…" Yuffie could tell where this was going. "Vincent-"_

"_Doesn't know what he's talking about!" She said angrily._

"_Oh really? Yuffie, he's been your partner for almost a year now. You don't work side by side with someone, day in day out, and not notice when something is off."_

_He had a point but Yuffie wasn't going to admit that. "So what did Saint Vincent say to you then?"_

_Reeve ignored Yuffie's sarcasm. "Very little."_

_The ninja rolled her eyes. "Figures."_

_Reeve laid his hands flat on the table and looked straight at the ninja. His gaze unsettled Yuffie and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Seeing this, the director sighed. "Yuffie. Is something bothering you?"_

"_Apart from working with a bunch of tattletales, no, not really." _

"_They're concerned about you, as am I. You've not been yourself lately." He paused, debating whether or not to continue. "Is there… A personal matter-"_

"_No! There's nothing wrong, Reeve, I'm fine."_

"_You don't seem fine. Yuffie, I don't mean to pry, but if there is something that could potentially affect the outcome of missions I send my officers on, I have to know. I can't risk recklessly endangering…"_

_Yuffie was almost shaking with rage. Reeve thought she was endangering the missions? Looking back at her boss, she realised he was still speaking. He really was a windbag…_

"…_while it was a harmless mistake, it was careless and not what I would expect from one of my senior officers. This is just _one_ of such cases." The WRO chief gazed at her. "You're easily agitated, distracted and lacking in drive."_

Wait. What? _"I am _not_ lacking in drive! Sure, I get frustrated at times, I mean I do have to work with _Vincent Valentine_, but don't tell me I'm not committed to this job, Reeve. I put a lot of time and energy into my work." Yuffie could feel the tears forming._

"_I know you do, Yuffie, believe me, I do. Which is why it pains me to have to say this…"_

"_Say what?"_

"…_I think it would be best if you took some leave."_

_Yuffie couldn't believe her ears. She shot up suddenly, surprising Reeve. "No. You can't. That's not fair Reeve!"_

"_It would be unfair if I didn't. Yuffie. I'm sorry."_

"_Can't we at least talk about this?"_

"_We have, for the last half hour." He gestured to the clock. It was almost 9. He rose and moved to stand beside her._

"_What if…" She blinked back tears. "If, I didn't go on missions for a while. I could help out with admin and stuff…"_

_Reeve looked at her sympathetically and shook his head. "We both know that wouldn't work. You belong out in the fiel-"_

"Then let me go_," she pleaded._

"_You need time, Yuffie. Deal with whatever you have to and come back when you're done." He placed his hand gently on her shoulder and she winced. Withdrawing hastily, he looked her in the eyes. Reeve could tell the ninja was struggling to contain her emotions. He had never seen her like this._

"_How long?" She said, defeated._

_Reeve hesitated. "Let's see how you are in June."_

"Three months_?" Yuffie felt her chest tighten. _

_He moved towards the door, and stopped, looking back at the young woman. "Think of it as a sabbatical," he said, glancing at the shelf full of Wutaianese books. He faced her once more. "Look after yourself Yuffie." _

She stood and went over to the sink. Her job had been the one thing keeping her sane these last couple of months. Without it, Yuffie wasn't sure how she'd cope. Her nightmares were getting steadily worse and training didn't seem to help focus her mind anymore. She looked out the window at the lonely tree in the backyard. Cherry blossoms were only just starting to bloom on its branches. She closed her eyes. Spring had always been her favourite season. She jumped when she heard a loud ringing. _That damn phone._

"Strife's Delivery Service. You name it, we deliver it."

* * *

Tifa gasped. "It's…"

"Beautiful," he finished, looking at her.

Tifa could barely believe what she was seeing. She was standing in front of the clearest lake she had ever laid eyes on. The huge snow capped mountains were reflected in the water, adding to the impressive view, and tall pine trees spread out across the landscape. The lake appeared to glisten as the Sun hit the water. Looking in the distance, Tifa saw what appeared to be a watermill. Cloud watched as she stood in awe at the vista before them. It truly was breathtaking.

She turned to him suddenly, moisture in her eyes. "How did you find this place?"

"One of my deliveries… I was lost." He laughed. "I took a detour and rode past."

"I wish I had my camera…"

"Good thing I brought it," he said, holding up her gold camera.

"Cloud?" She reached for it, smiling. _Well aren't you full of surprises._

He watched her take a series of pictures before moving to stand next to her. "Stand over there." He pointed to a patch of grass further ahead, near the water's edge. He took the camera from her and Tifa gave him a confused look, doing as he instructed. When she was in position, he brought the camera to his eyes. He quickly pressed the button and the red light flashed.

"Hey! I wasn't ready."

"Pay attention then." Tifa laughed as he took another picture. She said nothing this time, simply looking back at him. Cloud couldn't help but admire the stunning view. After a few more shots, Tifa rejoined him. Taking her camera back, she pushed him forward.

"Your turn."

"What? Tifa-"

"Come on. We can take some promo shots for your stand up debut." She winked at him.

"Tifa."

"Don't tell me you're camera shy, _Cloud_." The brunette giggled.

Cloud sighed and walked over to the spot where Tifa stood moments before.

"Say _cheese_." The blonde frowned. "Ah, Cloud. I know you can do better than that…"

He looked at her then. She was standing there, hands on her hips, pouting. _She's cute when she does that. _Cloud smiled. A bright flash caught his attention. "Happy?" He asked, walking back to her.

"Very." She smirked. "Let's take a look around. There's a path up ahead." She pointed to a small parting in the trees.

The two walked in silence along the path. They stopped at a dead end where the trees grew close together in a circle, essentially blocking any progress forward. There was a large tree stump in the centre that had been sanded down and small mushrooms grew around it. "Cuilidh." She spoke softly. Cloud looked around. It was a fairly secluded area that he doubted many people visited, judging by the lack of disturbance on the grass.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

Tifa seemed transfixed. She bent down and examined one of the mushrooms. After a few seconds, she picked it and placed it on the tree stump. She then proceeded to pick the rest. Straightening, she turned to face Cloud. "I can use them in a sauce."

A loud rustle in the trees drew their attention and they looked up to see a red squirrel staring at them. It slowly made its way down the tree and stood before them. Tifa crouched down to get a better look at it.

"Hello. Is this your home?" She smiled. "We're just visiting."

The animal seemed to respond to this, as it moved closer to her. Tifa held out her hand. Cautiously, the squirrel sniffed it. She looked up at Cloud and he returned her smile. "Ow!" Tifa rose quickly, rubbing her thumb. "It bit me!" The squirrel scurried away into the bushes. "Guess it was expecting food and when I didn't deliver, it decided to take a bite instead."

Cloud started laughing. "Yeah probably."

"It's not funny. It really hurts," she protested, but Cloud could hear the giggle in her voice. Soon, they were both laughing.

"Want me to take a look at it?" Tifa held out her right hand to Cloud. He gently held her hand and examined her thumb. The squirrel's teeth had pierced the skin and it was bleeding slightly. He looked up and saw her watching him. They stared at each other for a moment. A blush crept on to her cheeks and Tifa was glad that where they were standing was shielded from sunlight. She looked away and saw what she thought was the same squirrel back in its tree.

A gentle stroke brought her eyes back to Cloud. He slowly ran his index finger down the centre of her open palm before drawing small circles at the base of her thumb. Involuntarily, she closed her eyes. She felt his ministrations on her pulse point and Tifa could barely contain the moan that escaped her lips. Just as his finger began travelling up her arm, a ringtone sounded. Tifa opened her eyes immediately, withdrawing her arm. Cloud reached into his pocket, without taking his eyes off her.

"Cloud." He waited for an answer and when none came he looked at the screen. _Unknown. _"Who is this?" When there was still no response, he went to end the call and he was certain he heard breathing just before the line cut out.

"Wh-who was it?" The barmaid asked, sounding breathless.

"I don't know."

"Cloud?"

"We should probably get back," he said, turning away from her.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She quickly scooped up the mushrooms and followed him out of the grove.

Cloud was quiet on the ride back and Tifa was lost in thought. _What was that back there?_ She had enjoyed whatever it was, but she didn't know what it meant, if it even meant anything at all. What was she to Cloud: just a friend? No. They lived together, like a family. Tifa had tried not to get her hopes up that they would become something more. She'd even been on a few dates, and then there was Johnny. She knew Cloud only tolerated him. Johnny was charming and funny. They had a lot in common and she enjoyed his company. _But he's not Cloud._

"Tifa?"

"Yes?"

"Hold on tight."

"Oh, sorry Cloud." She leaned into him on the bike and closed her eyes. Whatever they were to each other, Tifa knew that Cloud cared about her and that was enough, for now.

* * *

Yuffie stepped into the shower stall and closed her eyes. _Deep breaths, Yuffie. _She shakily reached for the tap and turned on the water. As the warmth coated her skin, she felt her muscles relax and the tension slip away.

The ninja had been training for over two hours and she was exhausted. Her body seemed to cry out in protest as she turned to face away from the showerhead. Yuffie knew she'd pushed herself too hard, but it would all be worth it tonight; she'd be too exhausted to dream. That gave her some comfort at least. She had tried everything: chanting, meditation, herbal teas, training and even prayer; each one had failed to help her. It seemed that no matter what she did, her nightmares persisted and when she was awake, Yuffie was plagued with flashbacks and panic attacks.

If she was honest, Yuffie was surprised she'd managed as long as she had at work. _I'm a mess._ She had considered going back to Wutai, but the thought of another fight with Godo quickly dissuaded her from the idea. She couldn't take another lecture about 'bringing shame to the house of Kisaragi' by working for Shinra. She had really tried, over the past year, to get her father to open his eyes to all the good that the World Regenesis Organization did, but none of that mattered to him. All he cared about was the fact that his daughter, future ruler of Wutai, was dishonouring her people by working for an ex Shinra executive.

Yuffie was certain he was responsible for some of the townspeople calling her '_Midgar lover_'. They probably still blamed her for 'bringing the Midgar Disease to Wutai'. She remembered when her father had locked her in their dojo. She sighed, was it too much for her father to just be proud of her, for once?

She stepped out of the shower and wrapped the large towel around her. Wiping the condensation from the cabinet mirror, she looked at her reflection. It was times like this that she barely recognised herself. Yuffie felt that each day, she was simply going through the motions; simulating reality, but not truly living.

In the corridor, she heard voices coming from the bar. _They must be home._ Tifa had mentioned that she would be opening at 4 and it was only 2:30.

Yuffie walked into her bedroom. Standing in the middle of the room, she closed her eyes and listened to her breathing. She felt the towel loosening around her and it dropped to the floor before she could catch it. She bent down to retrieve it and caught sight of her back in the wardrobe's full length mirror. Turning slightly, she gazed at the scar marking her skin. Yuffie gritted her teeth as she gradually traced a finger across it. Seeing her face in the mirror, she immediately averted her eyes_._

Going over to her drawers, she hurriedly dressed and got in bed. Yuffie stared at the ceiling for a while, willing herself to stay awake. It was too early to sleep.

The ninja opened her eyes and sat up quickly. Looking at her watch, Yuffie saw she had only been sleeping for an hour. She pushed off the covers and got up. Yuffie briefly checked herself in the mirror before heading to the door. She had gone for one of her more conservative outfits: a three quarter length blue top and black leggings. The ninja slipped into her tan boots and left the room.

Yuffie paused in the hallway, looking towards Tifa's room. It had only been a few days since she had considered opening up to her. She had woken from another distressing nightmare and found herself stood outside the barmaid's door. It felt like hours before she plucked up the courage to actually touch the handle. She froze when she heard Cloud coming up the stairs, and when Tifa called out to him, she panicked and almost ran back to her room. _Would it have made any difference?_ Shaking her head,she continued downstairs and walked into the bar.

"Tifa?" The ninja scanned the room. The bar was dark and the chairs were still stacked on top of the tables. _Maybe she stepped out? _It was 3:45 so Yuffie reasoned that she couldn't have gone far. She went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. She took out her blue bottle and downed the contents. Absentmindedly, she drummed her fingers on the counter. "What's keeping her? It's almost 4 o'clock."

Sighing, Yuffie went over to the door. It was still locked. She opened it and flipped the 'closed for business' sign over. _Guess I'll have to open without her. _As she was arranging the tables and chairs, she heard the door. "About time!" When she received no response, Yuffie looked up.

"Oh, I'm sorry sir. I'll be right with you." She hurried to the bar.

"Scotch, on the rocks."

"Coming right up."

Yuffie glanced at the man seated in the far corner. Something about him seemed familiar. He was wearing a dark cap that obscured his features, but she was certain he was watching her as she prepared his drink. She hoped Tifa would come soon. She went over to serve his drink and without a word, he handed her the exact change. The ninja sensed he was still watching her as she went back to the bar. Reaching down, she picked up the cleaning cloth and almost jumped when she saw him standing right at the bar. Yuffie placed a steadying hand on her chest.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you." He placed the empty glass on the counter. Removing his cap, he extended his hand. "I'm Abe."

"Yuffie," she said, returning the gesture. He had a firm handshake.

"Yuffie? That's an unusual name."

"It's Wutaianese."

"Really? I've never been. Never was one for exotic travel."

Yuffie nodded. Abe looked to be in his mid fifties. His receding hair was mostly grey.

"If you don't mind me saying, you look awful young to be working in a bar."

"I'm twenty."

Disbelief was evident on his face. "Anyway Yuffie, it was nice meeting you. I'll see you around."

Replacing his cap, Abe went over to the door and stepped outside. Seconds later, Tifa appeared at the doorway.

"Yuffie!" She glanced at the clock.

"You're late," the younger woman deadpanned.

"I know, I'm sorry. I got held up… I shouldn't have left you to open by yourself." Tifa looked downcast.

"It's fine. I only had one customer so I was hardly rushed off my feet. It's always dead at this time anyway." Yuffie winked at her.

"Thanks Yuffie." She moved to stand behind the bar.

"Reina called while you were out. She quit."

"What! Why?"

"She got the part she auditioned for: so she's moving to Costa Del Sol." Yuffie was probably supposed to leave out the first part, but she thought the look on Tifa's face was priceless. "_So_, it looks like I'm your new waitress."

Before she could formulate a response, the younger woman shifted and began wiping down the tables.

* * *

It had been a quiet evening at 7th Heaven and both women had been glad. They sat down in the living room after closing. The room was pleasantly furnished with two beige couches. Next to the balcony door, was a grey reclining chair Yuffie had spied Cloud napping in, on one of his rare days off. As with the rest of the house, photographs decorated the walls. A coffee table stood in the centre of the room. The shelf beneath it had an array of books and magazines, ranging from photography to childcare. Yuffie smiled at the thought of Tifa reading about how to raise children. _She was born to be a mother. _

Reclining in her chair, Tifa looked over at Yuffie. "So…" The ninja looked up. "How did your meeting with Reeve go?" Yuffie had almost forgotten about it.

"Uh, okay, I guess." She hated lying to her, but Yuffie knew if she told her, Tifa would only ask more questions she wasn't ready to answer. "It was just about a new assignment."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'll be off active duty for a while…" When Tifa didn't probe any further, she continued. "I'm on sabbatical as part of my transition to a new division Reeve is setting up. He wants me to lead it."

"That's great Yuffie." Tifa sounded pleased. "So what is this new division?"

"The Wutaianese Task Force or the WTF." _Wait. What? _Yuffie slowly turned to look at the martial artist.

Tifa stifled a giggle at the abbreviation. "Sounds, interesting."

"Yeah, the name sucks. It's a working title," she said, letting out a breath.

"So you'll be travelling back to Wutai?"

"Huh?" She hadn't thought of that. "Yes, eventually…"

"I bet your dad will be pleased."

"He'll probably have a statue erected to The Great Ninja Yuffie Kisaragi: Head of the WTF."

Tifa sat up and looked at Yuffie and the two women burst out laughing. Tears rolled down Tifa's cheeks and Yuffie felt her sides splitting.

After their mirth died down, they sat in silence again.

"So how was your day with chocobo head?"

"Good."

"Just _good_?"

"Yuffie."

"What? There's obviously more. Don't hold out on me boobs. You've been in _way_ too good a mood tonight."

"Wh- no I haven't."

"Whatever."

Tifa had missed this: the two of them, together, talking. The past couple of days had almost seemed like things were back to normal. Tifa looked over at the couch opposite the television. Yuffie was staring off into space, struggling to keep her eyes open.

"He took me to the most beautiful lake. It was crystal clear..."

Startled, Yuffie sat bolt upright and turned her attention to the martial artist. She listened as Tifa recounted their visit. Tifa decided to leave out the part where Cloud essentially gave her a massage and she moaned in pleasure. Yuffie would never stop teasing her about it.

Opening her eyes, Tifa realised she'd nodded off. Glancing over at Yuffie, she saw her lying across the couch, her mouth slightly open. Soft snores echoed across the room and Tifa smiled. Picking up a blanket, she walked over to the couch. Carefully, she draped it over the sleeping girl. Tifa stroked her hair affectionately. It had really grown in the last year and was now past her shoulders.

Yuffie stirred in her sleep and her face darkened. The barmaid gently pushed the bangs from her eyes. _She's so warm. _Tifa readjusted the blanket, moving it lower. Glancing once more at the sleeping ninja, she kissed her forehead and stood up. Turning off the lamp, she moved to the doorway.

"Night Yuffie."

Cloud still hadn't returned and it was almost midnight. She eased into her Queen size bed and shut her eyes. She hadn't been sure what to expect when Cloud took her out after brunch. When they stopped in the middle of nowhere, she was surprised. Her surprise had quickly turned to awe as she took in the breathtaking view. The fresh scent of pines and the crisp mountain air, had reminded her of being back in Nibelheim. She rarely thought of her hometown, because it always brought with it the painful memories of the past.

Today had been different. She had smiled and laughed. Tifa was touched by Cloud's thoughtfulness. She looked at her camera on the bedside table. Photography was a hobby she had developed as a teen. _I'll have to look through the pictures tomorrow._ Her mind replayed the events in the grove. The feeling of Cloud's hand as he held her own had been so gentle and caring. When he began stroking her, electricity shot through her arm. She saw the look in his eyes as he watched her. Tifa was sure she had seen him scowl right before he answered the call. _Who was that?_

She sighed, turning on to her side. Thoughts of Cloud, she rarely allowed herself to have, resurfaced as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_**Cuilidh**_ [ku-lee] _is a Gaelic word meaning_ sanctuary _or_ secret hiding place.

_**Rafutee**_ [la-foo-tay~] _is a braised pork belly dish from the Ryukyu Islands originally served to royalty._


	3. Chapter 3

Feeling another wave of exhaustion sweep across his body, Cloud climbed the stairs slowly. Turning the corner, he thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Deciding to ignore it, Cloud continued on his way to his room. A loud **thud** sounded in the hallway and Cloud spun round to face the living room. He was sure he heard rustling coming from inside.

Checking first to ensure Tifa's door was still shut, the blonde slowly made his way to the living room, hand on his Buster sword. From the doorway, he was able to make out the shape of a figure lying on the ground.

"_Yuffie!_" He rushed forward, dropping to her side.

The ninja stirred but didn't open her eyes. Cloud looked up at the sofa and saw the blanket. He reached for it and covered Yuffie. He went to lift her from the floor, when he was met with two bright eyes staring up at him. The blonde opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by a shrill cry emanating from the girl beneath him. Alarmed, he grabbed her arm. He saw the terror in her eyes and felt her squirming to get away.

"Yuffie! It's me: Cloud."

This only seemed to increase the ninja's fear, as she began flailing her arms wildly. Cloud released his grip and watched as she pushed herself over to the wall and continued shrieking loudly. The ceiling light suddenly came on and footsteps paused behind him.

"_What's going on in here…_ _Yuffie?_" Tifa rushed over to the hysterical girl and took her into her arms. Yuffie immediately started screaming louder, beating her fists. Tifa grabbed her arms and looked the distraught girl in the face. The ninja was still crying out, trying desperately to escape.

"Yuffie, sweetie. It's Tifa. You're safe, I'm not going to hurt you," she spoke gently.

The ninja continued to struggle for a few seconds before recognition appeared to dawn on her features. "…T-Tifa…?" Her voice was just barely above a whisper.

"Yes, Yuffie, I'm here," she said softly, opening her arms.

Yuffie moved into the embrace, sobbing quietly. Tifa stroked her hair and kissed her crown. Standing, Cloud took a step towards them. He saw Tifa shake her head and he stopped. _Go to bed. I'll be fine, _she mouthed to him. He watched as Tifa covered the shivering girl with the blanket once again and resumed tenderly stroking her. Yuffie was still crying into her chest, shaking slightly. Cloud saw Tifa blink back a tear and felt his heart clench at the sight. He gave a last look to the women on the floor, before going straight to his room. Cloud was certain none of them would be getting much sleep that night.

* * *

Woken by the light streaming in through the window, Yuffie gradually opened her eyes. She felt movement above her and looked up to see Tifa fast asleep. The ninja smiled at the sight of the barmaid resting peacefully. She tried to sit up, but felt a weight on the small of her back. Realising it was Tifa's hand, Yuffie gently removed it and eased out of her lap. She sat for a while, watching the martial artist sleep. _I guess we were too tired to go to bed last night. _She stretched and stood up.

Yuffie made her way down the stairs as quietly as she could; Tifa had very sensitive hearing and she didn't want to wake her. She met Cloud in the kitchen, drinking his coffee.

"Morning!"

"Uh, morning." He watched the ninja carefully as she began preparing to make breakfast. "Yuffie?"

The young woman turned to look at him with a big smile. "Yes?"

"Is everything…okay?" He frowned.

"Well…" She glanced to the side before meeting his gaze. "…we're out of cheese." She flashed him a teethy grin and returned to cracking the eggs.

Cloud stared at her back and sighed. She seemed to be acting as if nothing had happened. _Was last night a dream? I was exhausted, but Tifa was there…_

He rose from the chair and Yuffie turned to face him. "You're leaving? Ah Cloud, you'll miss my world famous Wutaianese No Cheese Omelettes!" Cloud couldn't help but smile at this.

"Sorry Yuffie. Maybe another time," he said, looking at his watch. "I have to get going. I'll be home early."

Yuffie's expression was unreadable as she returned to the stove. "'Kay. See you later."

He stood for a moment, watching as she hummed to herself while cooking. He moved into the bar and saw Tifa standing by the stairs.

"Hey." She gave him a weak smile.

"Hey," he echoed. "Tifa, last night I…" Cloud wasn't sure what to say.

Massaging her temple, she looked to the kitchen. "Let's talk about it later." Tifa looked like she had barely slept.

"Sure." He paused. "Bye Tifa."

"Have a good day," she replied, yawning.

Cloud made his way to the garage. Once outside, he checked his phone. _Three missed calls. _The blonde had a feeling he knew what his call log would read if he checked it: _unknown. _Since yesterday's interruption in the grove, Cloud had received two more calls from the unidentified number. Each time he answered there was silence, until he went to end the call and he would then hear the breathing. Cloud was certain now that it was not just a case of wrong number. He wondered who would be calling. Was someone messing with him?

He had yet to ask Tifa if she had given out his number, to anyone other than their friends, but now with Yuffie behaving so bizarrely: he didn't want to bother Tifa, with something that was probably nothing more than a stupid prank.

_What is going on with Yuffie? _The young ninja's behaviour had been unnerving; he had never seen Yuffie in such a state. He wondered if it was simply a bad dream, but the ninja seemed fully awake when she fought to get away from him. _It's like she didn't know who I was._ Cloud lay awake last night, replaying the scene over and over; trying to work out if there was something he could have done differently, that wouldn't have resulted in the hysterical girl weeping in Tifa's arms. He barely recognised her as the same woman who would willingly take on a man twice her size and win.

The blonde tried to push the unsettling thoughts aside and climbed onto his bike. He just hoped Tifa would be able to get the ninja to tell her what was wrong.

* * *

Cloud arrived ten minutes early for his last delivery. He parked his bike in front of the large steel door entrance to the warehouse. Retrieving the small packet from underneath the seat, he scanned the area. The place was deserted. Few people came to the outskirts of the city, as it had little to offer aside from storage facilities and scrap metal yards.

Since the dismantlement of Shinra's military installations, Junon had become a mix between a fishing quarter and a new business district. The polluted waters had been cleaned and sea life was thriving once again. Seafood restaurants, to suit all budgets, were scattered across the city and businessmen and women could often be seen queuing around the block, just to get their hands on the latest sashimi in season. New office buildings seemed constantly to be in construction. _I guess there's a third option if being a delivery boy fails._ Cloud looked up and saw a large red crane moving in the distance.

The blonde walked up to the door and pressed the grey buzzer. After a few seconds, a click sounded and the door automatically released, allowing him entry. Cloud opened the door further and stepped inside. The corridor before him was poorly lit, due in part to most of the light bulbs having blown and the lack of any windows. He walked to the end of the hallway and pushed the door. It opened into another corridor. The lighting was much better and he saw that there were numerous doors.

As he walked past, Cloud noticed that each one had markings printed in a script he didn't recognise. The lettering was different on each door and he wondered if the script indicated what the rooms were used for. None of the doors had any windows and they appeared to be made of iron.

Cloud continued on to the end of the corridor and opened the door on his left. It led to a longer hallway, ending in a large staircase. According to the note he was given, it would take him up to the sixth floor. Sighing, the delivery boy began his long ascent.

When he reached the second floor landing, Cloud heard voices coming from below. He moved closer to the wall, away from the handrail. Two men, he assumed were employees, sounded like they were having a argument; one of them had a strong Wutaianese accent.

"Look, just _follow_ my lead next time!"

"Sorry guy, that's just not how I do things…"

"Oh, really?" The Wutaianese man paused, as if waiting for a response. "The way I see it, you don't actually _do_ anything, apart from getting in the way."

"You looking for a fight, guy?" He replied angrily.

"I don't 'fight' children," the Wutaianese man retorted.

"You Wuta-"

"Ignore him," a female voice cut in. "He's just a clown who thinks he can run with the big boys, now he got his _promotion_." The woman moved closer to the Wutaianese man. "I'll make sure he keeps his nose clean, this time," she said, winking. She gave a shrill laugh before walking away and disappearing down the corridor Cloud had entered from.

He shook his head, staring after the woman. "Hm. So what does it take to…" He turned to the younger man.

"A lot of money," he said with a smirk. "You like? Well let me give you some free advice: don't touch. Avairas is trouble, with a capital T. Wanna keep your head? Stay out of her bed."

The men stood in silence for a moment.

"Anyway," he started, changing the subject. "Did you find out about the next job?"

"I got it covered guy, I'm not an idiot." He sounded irritated. "Just meet me at the same place: 9 o'clock."

"Right. What about the VRO?"

"The VRO?" He rolled his eyes. "You mean the _WRO_. Don't worry guy, somehow, I don't think they'll be a problem."

"Good. Well, we better get to this meeting."

"Way ahead of you guy," he said, holding open the door. "After you, _sensei._"

After he heard the door shut, Cloud moved to the railing and glanced down. _Who are these people?_ Cloud didn't tend to ask many questions of his customers. He only stipulated that he wouldn't handle drugs or stolen goods. Turning his attention back to the stairs, he continued on his way up.

When he entered the sixth floor corridor, Cloud was feeling quite warm. He stopped and looked ahead. There were only three doors and the one on the right stood slightly ajar. He assumed this was the delivery destination and walked towards it. Before his hand touched the door, Cloud heard loud shouting coming from behind him. The sound of something slamming was then followed by quiet.

"What the hel…lo?" Cloud turned to see a stout, middle aged man staring at him. "Can I help you?"

"I have a delivery for a Mr. Hargreaves," he said, holding up the small packet. "I was given instructions to bring it to this floor."

"Yes, yes, I don't need your life story." He snatched the packet from Cloud and went back inside the room. The man returned moments later. "I think this should cover it. We'll be in touch."

Cloud looked at the money in his hand and blinked. It was twice the amount he quoted. Placing the money in his pocket, he took out his phone; there was no reception. If he left now, he would be home by 4. As he passed the door he heard the shouting from, Cloud thought he saw a face in the window. _I must be tired._

* * *

Yuffie stood in the middle of the bar, watching the clock. It was two hours before they opened and Tifa was still resting. It wasn't like the barmaid to sleep during the day, but the ninja had seen how exhausted she was at breakfast. Tifa had barely kept up with the conversation. _Last night was pretty tiring. _Yuffie asked the martial artist how they ended up on the floor and Tifa's eyes had widened in shock. She fumbled for an explanation that the ninja hadn't fully comprehended. Yuffie wondered if she was embarrassed for some reason.

The last thing she remembered was listening to Tifa talk about her date with Cloud. Yuffie was sure Tifa hadn't told her the whole story. It wasn't long after the barmaid finished, that she fell asleep.

The young woman was almost certain that she wouldn't dream last night. However, almost as soon as she closed her eyes, Yuffie found herself back in the darkness. The ninja felt like she had walked for hours before hearing the voices. She hadn't understood what they said, but she noted the urgency in their tone. Apart from the sound of chains and maniacal laughter, Yuffie had only ever heard silence. When she heard the voices approaching, she had turned to go back, only to feel the solid mass behind her again.

Suddenly, there were hands on her and the ninja had screamed, struggling to break free. It wasn't until she heard the familiar sound, of Tifa's voice piercing through the darkness, that she relaxed; letting the soothing tone pacify her. Collapsing, the ninja felt herself enveloped in a comforting embrace. She felt the darkness fading away and she was then staring up at the gentle features of the barmaid. Yuffie had tried to speak, but felt Tifa shushing her, telling her to sleep and reassuring her she was safe.

_Did that really happen?_ Yuffie assumed she had dreamt it all, but the memory of waking up on the martial artist's lap, seemed to suggest otherwise. Why had Tifa been holding her, comforting her? Yuffie's dreams of late had been so vivid, that she sometimes found herself unable to distinguish between them and reality. The ninja involuntarily shivered. If it wasn't being in that dark place, it was dreaming of her mother dying and feeling utterly powerless to help.

She wished she could just tell Tifa: how afraid she felt, how the thought of being in the dark terrified her, what happened that night…

"No. _I can't._" Yuffie wasn't going to give in. She _was _getting better. What happened at work was just a temporary setback; she would bounce back, like she always did.

The ninja looked up and saw Tifa standing by the doorway, watching her.

"You can't what?" Yuffie remained still as Tifa approached her. "Yuffie, tell me, please."

"What do you mean? There's nothing to tell. I was just…thinking aloud."

"About?"

"Stuff." She saw Tifa raise an eyebrow. "I-I mean, work. This new assignment…"

"Right." Yuffie could tell she wasn't buying it.

"Anyway, I better get started on today's menu." She turned to leave.

"Wait." The barmaid looked at the younger woman, pinning Yuffie with her gaze. "What happened last night-"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"So you remember?"

"Remember what?" The ninja looked away.

"Yuffie, what's going on?"

"Nothing! I told you: it's just work stuff. I'm fi-"

"So you're still going to pretend everything is fine?"

"Preten- what? Tifa I don't need this, okay?" Yuffie was beginning to feel angry.

"I'm worried about you. You haven't been yourself lately," Tifa spoke quietly. "You scared me last night…"

"Tifa. _I said I don't want to talk about it!_"

"Yuffie-"

"_Just drop it!"_

Yuffie hurried past the martial artist and practically ran into the kitchen. She could feel herself shaking and she willed her body to cooperate as she began taking out the pots and pans. Yuffie heard the front door slam. She handled that badly and she knew it. _Way to go Yuffie; shouting at your best friend and then running away…you're on a roll today._ Yuffie wanted to go after her and apologise, but she knew Tifa would want an explanation. The ninja wasn't exactly sure what Tifa had seen, but she guessed it was enough to make her even more concerned about her.

As she watched the pancake begin to cook, Yuffie wished she could just erase the past two months from her mind.

* * *

Cloud walked into the bar and was greeted with the sight of two sullen looking brunettes. The taller of the two, was currently wiping down the counter; looking towards the door, but not appearing to have noticed his entrance. The younger woman, was serving a large order of food and drinks to a group of seniors, Cloud remembered seeing on the few times he arrived home at this time. The local senior citizen's bowls club had become regulars on Thursday afternoons and would often leave large tips. The blonde wondered if Yuffie would earn any tips, with the face she was giving the man she was currently serving.

He walked over to the barmaid and she finally noticed him smiling. He could tell she was still tired.

"You're back early."

"Yeah." He guessed that Yuffie hadn't relayed his message this morning. "I'm going to take a rest…" Cloud looked from Tifa to Yuffie. "Did something happen?"

"Hm?"

"I mean with Yuffie," he said, lowering his voice. He had a feeling Yuffie was watching them.

"Everything's fine, Cloud. Go get some sleep."

Cloud didn't argue. At the stairs, he turned just in time to see the two brunettes glance at each other and quickly look away. _Women._

* * *

_This is ridiculous. _Yuffie had been avoiding eye contact with her for hours. Unless it was absolutely necessary, the ninja didn't say a word to her. The tension in the air was palpable. She knew storming out of the bar had been immature, but she hadn't expected Yuffie to start ignoring her. The martial artist knew that whatever Yuffie was dealing with was painful and she was trying to be sensitive, but seeing her so hysterical had made her more determined to get to the bottom of whatever this was.

Yuffie's behaviour had been worrying her for weeks. She clearly wasn't sleeping; her appetite was at a bare minimum and she just wasn't her normal carefree self. Tifa had considered calling Vincent to ask how Yuffie was at work, but with the two partners barely being civil to each other, she thought it probably wasn't a good idea. _What happened between those two anyway?_

Vincent had always tolerated Yuffie at best, but when they started working together at the WRO, they seemed to have become closer, in their own way. Tifa had been shocked, when Yuffie suddenly came home calling the gunman every name under the Sun. Yuffie told her that he was a 'snitch' and that had been the first time she heard the ninja call him: _Saint Vincent. _Tifa laughed at the image of Vincent's face when he heard Yuffie call him that. It was an improvement from 'Vampire Vinnie' and 'Vicious Vince'. Tifa suspected his new nickname irritated him more than his previous monikers, purely because Yuffie used his full name instead of shortening it.

The ninja had always said that 'Vincent' was too formal and old fashioned. She thought 'Vince' was more cutting edge and 'Vinnie' helped shed his tough man image and revealed a softer side of him. Yuffie had also suggested a change in wardrobe, since the vamp look wasn't in season and Halloween only came once a year. Tifa remembered stifling a giggle at the look on Vincent's face. He had looked directly at her, placed his glass on the bar, turned and left. Yuffie looked genuinely shocked that he'd left so abruptly. "_The two of them are a double act_." She remembered Reeve telling her. _Hm…_

"Uh, Gaia to Tifa," she said, waving her hand in front of the barmaid. "I wonder if she's daydreaming about Cloud again."

"Clou- what?"

"Ha. I thought that would get your attention." The ninja smirked. "The barrel needs changing."

"Oh right, sorry!" Tifa rushed into the back room. She returned minutes later with the new barrel. Yuffie stood for a moment watching her before the barmaid looked up. "It's 5:30, you should take a break."

The ninja nodded and went to sit at an empty table in the corner. Tifa watched as Yuffie played with her shirt sleeve whilst staring around the bar. She frowned. _Isn't she going to eat something? _Reading her mind, Yuffie got up suddenly and went to the kitchen. She was sure the ninja avoided looking in her direction as she walked past. Trying to push the thought aside, the barmaid focused her attention on wiping down the counter. She looked up as the door opened and she saw a familiar crowd stepping into the bar. _It's gonna be a long night._

Yuffie didn't protest when Tifa asked her to handle the bar while she served the tables. Though they were apologetic following her episode on Monday, the workmen had been the last people she'd wanted to see in the bar. Yuffie was relieved when she saw that _scarface_ was absent from their group. _That creep._

The bar was quickly filling up and Tifa joined her behind the counter to lend her a hand.

"If you don't feel well…" Seeing the look on Yuffie's face, Tifa shut her mouth and turned her attention to the customer. "What can I get you sir?"

"Yuffie."

"Excuse me?" Tifa looked to said girl, puzzled.

"Abe." Yuffie smiled at the familiar face. "Scotch, on the rocks?"

"You know my poison," he returned her smile, handing her the change.

"I'll bring it right over."

Though she too had been serving a customer, Tifa couldn't help but watch the exchange. The barmaid couldn't recall seeing the man before, but Yuffie seemed to know him well enough to _know his poison._ When the rush died down, Tifa noticed that the ninja wasn't standing next to her. Scanning the room, she just made out her green shirt through the crowd. She appeared to be having a conversation with Abe.

"So you're really twenty?"

"Yes. I am."

"Still too young." Abe shook his head. "A bar's no place for a young lady. Too many rascals around." He looked over at the table in the far right corner of the bar.

Yuffie followed his line of sight and felt her stomach churn when she was met with a familiar pair of eyes staring at her. Her skin began to crawl as she watched him lick his lips. The ninja quickly looked over at the bar and saw the martial artist busy serving a long line of customers. When she glanced over at the large table, Yuffie saw the man talking to a brunette. When he went in for a hug, she was sure he winked at her. The ninja couldn't stop the memory of his hand on her from resurfacing, and she cringed. She momentarily closed her eyes, willing the panic to pass quickly.

"Yuffie?"

She jumped at the sound of her name. The ninja looked up at the face of the middle aged man sitting across from her.

"Sorry, what were you saying?"

Abe laughed. "I didn't mean to put you to sleep with my babbling." He glanced over at the bar. "I don't want to keep you."

"No, it's okay." Yuffie forced a smile. She didn't feel like going back behind the bar. "I was just…preoccupied." She looked at her hands.

"How long have you been working here?"

The ninja gave him an odd look. "Uh, well, I live here…" She saw the surprise on Abe's face. "We're family," she said, looking over at Tifa.

"I see." He was quiet for a while and Yuffie watched him take another gulp.

"You should still keep your eye out for those rascals. There sure seems to be a lot more around these days."

_He's old fashioned. _For some reason, this made her like him more.

"Is that so?"

"It is," he said, nodding. "I should know, I used to be one of 'em." He gave Yuffie a wink and she laughed.

"Well, I'll have to keep my wits about me then."

"Be sure to do that." He put down his empty glass, looking straight at her.

"Another?" She asked, indicating the glass.

Shaking his head, he replied: "I only came for one drink."

The ninja couldn't hide her disappointment and she reached for the glass. Yuffie wasn't sure why, but she felt comfortable in his presence. She rose slowly and saw Abe replacing his cap.

He stared at her for a moment. "I'm usually in the memorial gardens at lunch time," he said, standing. "You take care now Yuffie."

"Bye Abe."

Yuffie watched him leave. _Was that an invitation? _She turned towards the bar and saw Tifa watching her. Instead of looking away, the ninja gave her a weak smile. She still felt bad about earlier. Tifa was only worried about her. Sighing, she made her way back to the bar.

"Tifa," she glanced at the clock. "Break."

Before she could respond, she heard Cloud behind her. "Tifa, go. Yuffie and I can handle the bar. We'll close up tonight. Get some food, have a relaxing bath and sleep."

When the barmaid saw she was outnumbered, she removed her apron and moved to the kitchen. "Thanks," she called behind her.

Yuffie looked at Cloud and saw him giving her the same careful look he had that morning. "Something the matter, chocobo head?"

"Nope. How about you, ninja girl?"

"No."

They shared a quick smile and went to work. Cloud wasn't a half bad barman and though he lacked Tifa's skill, he made up for it with charm. There weren't many female patrons at 7th Heaven, however, the few that did visit, seemed forever enamoured of the blue eyed, spikey haired blonde. Yuffie could see why the women fawned over him. Having the man who fought Sephiroth twice and lived to tell the tale, in his own way, in your neighbourhood, was sure to attract some admirers. When she first met him, four years ago, Yuffie had found him quite attractive. His near constant brooding had been a slight turn off, and the ninja realised, that a certain well endowed barmaid already had her eye on him.

When she thought of the two, she often wished she could just knock their heads together and make them see what was right in front of them. They were obviously in love but seemed too blind, or too stupid, to realise the feelings they had for each other. _Maybe I should just lock them in a room together…_ Yuffie thought of the story Tifa told her about their "_…it wasn't a date."_ date. The ninja was certain if they'd kissed, the barmaid would have been too embarrassed to tell her, but she got the feeling that hadn't happened, yet. Glancing at Cloud, she made a decision: she would grill Tifa later, after she apologised.

* * *

Tifa lay in bed, camera in hand, looking through the photographs she took yesterday with Cloud. Though her camera was the latest model, it couldn't truly capture the beauty of the scene she witnessed. Stopping at one picture, Tifa zoomed in on the image and smiled. _Mountain goats._ The barmaid remembered her father telling her about his childhood; helping his father with their herd of goats.

Before Shinra took over, Nibelheim was a simple farming community. Her grandfather had always been proud of coming from a long line of Nibel Mountain farmers. He often berated her father for abandoning the family tradition and raising a daughter without any true sense of culture. Tifa remembered the countless times her father tried to explain that the world was different now and farming just wasn't sustainable anymore. Her grandfather didn't understand that the world had changed and the people moved on, her father had explained to her.

Tifa had enjoyed the time she spent with him; listening to his stories and learning about her father's escapades as a boy. As the years passed, her grandfather's health steadily declined and he died when she was twelve. Tifa wished she had paid more attention to his stories of how Nibelheim used to be.

A knock at the door brought her back to the present. "Yes?"

"Tifa."

The barmaid went to the door and opened it, revealing Cloud. "Hey. How was closing?"

"Fine. There wasn't any trouble." _As if you'd tell me if there was._ The martial artist stepped aside. Cloud walked in slowly and saw the camera on the bed. "So how'd they turn out?"

"Beautifully." She paused, looking at the blonde. "I think your promotional posters will be _very_ eye catching," she said, trying not to laugh.

Cloud didn't take the bait and instead took a seat by her bed. Tifa watched him. He looked as if he was trying to find the right words.

"Cloud…?"

He looked up. "It's probably nothing, but I wanted to ask if you'd given my cell number out to anyone besides our friends."

"What do you mean?" Tifa thought for a moment. "I don't think so, no."

"You don't think so?"

"I mean, no. I haven't. I only gave it out to Yuffie, Vincent, Barret, Cid and Reeve," she counted on her hand. "Cloud, what's thi-"

"…and you're sure?"

"Yes."

"…"

"Well. Are you going to tell me what this is about?"

"It's nothing."

"Clou-"

"So what happened between you and Yuffie?"

"Nothing," she said automatically. "We just…well… I don't know."

"You don't know? What about last night?"

"You tell me. I came in and she was screaming blue murder."

Cloud paused, recalling the previous night's events. "I came home…" He was sure he saw Tifa mouth 'late'. "…I came up the stairs and when I reached the corridor, I thought I saw something moving out of the corner of my eye. I was tired so I figured it was nothing. Then, I heard a loud noise, like something dropping and the sound of rustling."

"Rustling?" Cloud nodded.

"I thought maybe someone broke in, so I went to the living room to catch them. When I got there, I saw Yuffie lying on the floor. She was still, so I thought she'd knocked herself out or something. I went to go check on her and grabbed the blanket to cover her. When I tried to lift her, she opened her eyes and started screaming." Cloud saw Tifa looking at him with a worried expression.

"It…caught me off guard and I held her arm, telling her it was me, but it looked like it frightened her more and she started struggling to get away. I let go and she moved over to the wall and then…"

"…I came in," she finished. "I heard the shrieking and I thought, at first, that it was coming from a distance. Then it got louder and I realised it was Yuffie." She felt the bed depress, as Cloud sat next to her.

"When I went to her and she started fighting to get away…" The barmaid tried to hold back her tears. "It's like she didn't recognise me. After I heard her say my name and she collapsed in my arms shaking, it nearly broke my heart Cloud. Seeing her like that… I didn't know what to do." Tears were now flowing freely down Tifa's cheeks and Cloud held her hand.

"All night she was in my arms. Sometimes she'd wake up screaming again, trying to get away, and I'd have to remind her that she was safe and slowly calm her down. Other times… She'd look up, almost as if she saw right through me. Then she would murmur things…"

"Like what?"

"It didn't make any sense and I think some of it was in Wutaianese." She wiped her eyes and looked at Cloud. "_I have to stay awake._"

"Tifa?"

"That's what she said."

"What-" he was interrupted by the sound of Yuffie coming up the stairs. It was almost midnight, so he hoped she would go straight to her room. After what seemed like an eternity, they heard the door of her bedroom close.

"Should we call Godo?" He whispered.

"_Godo?_ What would we tell him? No, Cloud. Yuffie is part of this family now, we have to help her."

"How?"

"I'll call Reeve in the morning."

"Reeve, why? What's he got to do with Yuffie acting-"

"He's her boss at work. These past couple of months she's not been herself. He must have noticed something's up," she turned to him.

"So why not ask Vincent? He's her partner."

"_Vincent_?" Tifa struggled to maintain her whisper. _Does he go around with his eyes closed? _"You mean _Saint Vincent_?"

Cloud stared at her blankly.

Tifa sighed. "They had a…disagreement a few weeks back. He's the last person Yuffie would want me talking to about work."

"And she'd be fine with you checking with her boss?"

"Do you have a better idea?" The blonde's silence was her answer.

"Has she even said anything about work?"

"Hm." Tifa looked at the picture of her and Yuffie. "Before I left her in the living room, to go to bed, she told me about being put on sabbatical, while Reeve transferred her to a new division he's setting up…"

"He put her on leave? What's this new division about?"

"I don't remember the exact name, but she said it was focusing on Wutaianese operations."

"You think that's what's bugging her?"

"Possibly."

They sat in silence for a while. Cloud felt a weight on his shoulder and rested his head on top of hers. After a few moments, he realised she had fallen asleep. He lay her down on the bed gently and pulled over the covers. _She looks so peaceful._

"I heard you that time, when you thought I was sleeping." He watched as she turned on her side. "Do you still love me?"

* * *

Yuffie sat on her bedroom floor, looking at the selection of volumes spread out in front of her. When Reeve left his office on Wednesday morning, she had gone and taken another look at his Wutaianese book collection. Noticing some new titles, Yuffie had picked a number of them out. She realised many were self help books and the ninja had quickly discarded them. There were, however, a few that piqued her interest.

She fingered the script on each cover. Yuffie didn't read as much as she did when she lived in Wutai. Though she loathed her father's lectures on the past, she enjoyed reading about the history and folklore of her home town.

She held up a book and placed it on her lap. _Walking With Wutai: A step by step guide to Gaia's most unique culture._ Yuffie wasn't sure why she'd chosen this book. Glancing at the cover, she saw that the author had a Wutaianese surname. After flicking through a few pages, Yuffie tossed the book to the side. _That guy has obviously never been to Wutai._

A large book, poking out of her canvas bag, caught her eye. She reached for it and examined the cover. It was clearly very old and the lettering was faded. She assumed the colour had bleached in the Sun, as it now appeared to be a pale blue. Opening the book, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was written in the old cursive script. Yuffie turned the page and read the title: _Ritsumei_.

She looked up when she heard the door to Cloud's room closing. Turning her attention back to the book on her lap, she stared at the page. The ninja felt her eyelids feeling heavy and she shook her head. _Maybe reading isn't the best way to stay awake._ Closing the book, she moved to begin placing the volumes in a pile by her bed. She stood for a while, considering her options. Making up her mind, she walked to the door.

Silently, she made her way to the stairs, avoiding the creaky floorboards as she went. Yuffie quickly descended the stairs and went into the kitchen. She switched on the light and went to the refrigerator, retrieving her blue bottle. She opened the drawer by the kettle and took out a small set of keys. The garden door unlocked easily and she stepped outside.

The cool night air hit her face and Yuffie was glad she had worn her warm sweater. She glanced up at the full Moon. The ninja made her way to the tree that stood in the centre of the garden and smiled.

"Hey. Thought I'd come pay you a visit. How's it going?" The tree blew in the wind as if in response.

Yuffie touched one of the blossoms. She could still make out its light pink hue. Apart from the Moon, the sky appeared devoid of all life. She wondered what it would be like to leave all her troubles behind and just fly away. She laughed. _If only life was that simple._ Yuffie looked behind her and saw the rocking chair resting against the outside wall of the kitchen.

Tifa dragged her along to an antiques market last year, and the barmaid had instantly fallen for the old chair. The stall holder told them, that the rocking chair was once used to rock the royal baby of a foreign kingdom. Yuffie hadn't bought the story for a second, but Tifa had bought the chair. The martial artist said it reminded her of the rocking chair her mother used to have.

Yuffie eased into the chair and began to rock herself slowly. When she felt sleep trying to take her, she didn't resist. Closing her eyes, she imagined her mother's arms wrapping around her in a loving embrace.


	4. Chapter 4

Tifa stood in the kitchen, looking out the window. Her conversation with Cloud, last night, still fresh in her mind. The barmaid felt uneasy about calling Reeve, to ask how Yuffie had been at work recently. She knew the ninja wouldn't be happy if she found out. Tifa had tried to get her to talk, but Yuffie seemed to determined to keep whatever was bothering her, a secret. She tried not to take it personally, but Tifa began to wonder if the ninja wouldn't confide in her, because she didn't trust her enough. She considered Yuffie her best friend, her sister.

There were few things she hadn't shared with her. What happened in Nibelheim, was the one thing even she couldn't bring herself to say out loud, let alone tell anyone. _Why I am even thinking about this?_

The kettle whistling caught her attention and she poured the water into the waiting mug. Stepping outside, she turned to look at Yuffie. The ninja was still fast asleep on the rocking chair. Tifa wondered why it was in the garden in the first place. _Cloud._

The blonde seemed to have taken over the garage with his bike, Fenrir, leaving little room for anything else. She had tried numerous times to clean up his _workshop_ but each time, Cloud had made it clear that he didn't appreciate her rearranging his things. Tifa reminded him that there was a reason why her car was parked in front of the garage, as opposed to being parked _inside_. They rarely argued, but for some reason, Cloud had been unwilling to let it go and neither had she. It was a silly argument, like all of theirs were. On this particular occasion, their disagreement had been interrupted, by Barret walking in with Marlene. Tifa smiled. _She'll be coming home today._

"Yuffie," she said gently. "I brought you some tea."

The ninja slowly opened her eyes and looked at her. "Morning."

"Afternoon." Tifa smiled. "It's just after 12."

"What?"

"I guess you needed the sleep huh."

"Yeah, I guess." Yuffie scratched her head. "Thanks for the tea."

"So do you have any plans for today?" She watched as Yuffie sipped the tea.

"Uh, not really. You're not opening today are you?"

"No. Marlene's back later."

"Oh yeah, I forgot."

"Well, I'm going into town. I have to get some ingredients for dinner."

"I'll go," she offered.

"Yuffie? You just woke up."

"It's fine. There's something I need to do in town anyway…" The ninja stood up. "I'll just take a quick shower and head out."

"What about brea- I mean lunch?"

"I'll grab something when I'm out." She moved towards the door.

"Yuffie?"

The ninja stopped and looked back at the martial artist. "Yes?"

_Why were you sleeping outside? _"I'll write down a list of what I need."

Yuffie smiled. "Sure," she said, disappearing into the kitchen.

Tifa took her place on the chair and rocked herself slowly. She reached into her pocket and retrieved her phone. Dialing a familiar number, she took a deep breath. _Yuffie, please don't hate me._

* * *

Cloud pulled up in front of the small inn and shut off the engine. Despite all the trouble with Deepground, only a year ago, Kalm hadn't much changed from being a small, peaceful village. Life seemed to have returned to normal and the people had put the past behind them. Cloud had driven by the new farms on his way into the village and he remembered Tifa asking him to visit one of the farm shops, to buy some raw milk. He stepped out of the car and stared at the inn. It was hard to believe that this same building, albeit a rebuilt version, had been the inn he had stayed at with Tifa, Barret and…_Aerith._

He walked up to the entrance and pushed open the door. "Cloud!" He heard her voice, before he saw her face, beaming at him from the stairs. The blonde was surprised that Marlene hadn't come running up to him, like she usually did, but when he saw her coming down the stairs, with her arm in a sling, he saw why.

"So that's why you wanted me to drive," he said, looking at Barret. "What happened?"

"I told you: she just had an accident."

"Everyone seems to be having accidents these days." Cloud bent down and looked at Marlene.

"It's not broken but the doctor said it was close. She said that I shouldn't be going down to the mine-"

"She'll need her arm looked at sometime next week." Barret handed Cloud a handwritten note. "It was just a sprain but she's gotta take it easy, yeah?"

"I'm sure Tifa will see to that." Cloud saw the large man look away at the mention of the barmaid. "So you're staying here now?"

Barret turned to face him again. "It's only temporary."

_Maybe it's not just Marlene._ Barret was usually a lot more vocal than this. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

Cloud frowned. He wondered if he didn't want Marlene to hear. "So about the job…"

"When you get back," he replied. Barret looked at his watch. "You should probably head home."

"Sure." Cloud wouldn't press the older man if he didn't want to talk. "Come on Marlene."

Marlene gave her father a one armed hug and smiled. "Bye daddy."

"See you soon baby girl. Be good for Cloud and Tifa." He turned to Cloud. "Drive safe. I'll see you later."

Cloud nodded and held out his hand. Marlene walked with him out the door. Cloud looked back in time to see Barret's retreating footsteps going up the stairs.

"Daddy's been really distracted this week," Marlene said, drawing his attention.

They made their way outside and walked to the car. As he helped Marlene into the station wagon, Cloud heard a high pitched laugh coming from behind him. Recognising the sound, he turned in the direction of its owner. The blonde was certain she was the woman from the warehouse in Junon. She was walking arm in arm, with a man who looked to be at least twice her age. When the man went in for a kiss, Cloud averted his eyes. Afterwards, the couple got into an expensive sports car and drove off.

"Cloud?"

"Sorry. Let's go home."

"Yeah."

Cloud just hoped that Tifa wouldn't be too angry when they arrived.

* * *

Yuffie stood at the entrance to the memorial gardens and looked around. Only two of the benches were taken and none of the occupants looked familiar. _Am I too late?_ She looked at her watch and saw that it was almost 1 pm. Sighing, she walked further into the park. Spying a nearby bench, she sat down.

The memorial gardens had only recently been constructed, to honour all those who lost their lives after Meteor fell and the Deepground attacks. Flowers of every variety had been planted in circular patches across the park and plaques dedicated to the dead stood before them. In the centre, was a natural spring fountain surrounded by stone effigies of Shiva.

Yuffie watched as a young boy with brown hair stopped by the fountain. He reached into his pocket and held a penny up to the sky. He then threw it into the fountain.

"Denzel, come on. Your dad's waiting."

"I'm coming mom." Denzel glanced at the fountain and walked over to his mother.

The ninja stood quickly and made her way to the centre of the park. She watched the water cascading down like a waterfall and closed her eyes, fingering the small coin in her pocket. _I wish I could just…_ Yuffie wasn't sure what she was doing or why. It's not like she believed in this, not anymore. All her prayers and wishes had never been answered before and she seriously doubted that today would be any different. Regardless, she held up the coin and tossed it into the fountain.

When she turned to face the bench, she saw that it was now occupied. Yuffie smiled and walked over. She took a seat next to the man.

"Made your wish?"

"Yeah, I guess; not that I'm expecting much." She crossed her legs.

"So you don't want it to come true?"

Abe watched her play with the sleeve of her blue jacket.

"It's a beautiful day," Abe said simply.

"Edge almost looks...pretty."

He laughed. "Almost."

"So…" Yuffie was unsure what to say.

"Hm?"

"You come here a lot?"

"Everyday," he said, looking at her. "It's a good place to think."

"What do you think about?" She corrected herself. "I mean, if you don't mind me asking…"

"I don't." He paused, removing his beige cap. "Life."

Yuffie looked at him. Now that she was seeing Abe in the daylight, she could tell that he was quite handsome. The ninja noticed his slightly crooked nose and wondered if it had previously been broken. His light brown eyes seemed to reflect the Sun, causing them to sparkle. When she saw him watching her, Yuffie quickly looked away.

"You think it helps," she gestured to the park. "…being out here?"

"I do." He smiled warmly at her.

The ninja still wasn't sure what it was about Abe that made her relax and feel comfortable. She barely knew him, yet she couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity she had when she was near him. They sat in silence and Yuffie felt the Sun stroke her face.

"Yuffie."

She turned to him. "Yes?"

"Let's go for a walk, around the park." Abe stood up.

"Okay," she said without hesistation.

Abe held out his arm and Yuffie took it. She looked at him and felt a smile tug at her cheeks.

"You have a beautiful smile, Yuffie. Don't hide it."

"..."

"That reminds me of a woman I used to know…"

"Back in your rascal days?"

Abe chuckled. "Before then."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

"Tifa?"

"In here."

Yuffie followed the direction of her voice and saw the barmaid arranging wine bottles in the cellar. The ninja stood in the doorway watching her. Tifa was reading each label carefully before setting them down, in what Yuffie assumed was their correct order.

"Want some help?" The barmaid didn't react and Yuffie guessed she knew she was being watched.

"Sure." Tifa turned to look at her. "I'm putting them in year order. We have some Wutaianese drinks in…" She glanced at the crates stacked in the right corner.

"I'm on it." Yuffie moved quickly to the crates and opened the first one. She picked one of the sake bottles up and examined its label. Seeing the rack labelled 'Wutaianese Beverages', she placed the drink on the bottom shelf.

The two women worked in silence and slowly picked up a steady pace. Occasionally, the barmaid felt Yuffie watching her, but when she turned around, the ninja was busy reading another label. When she placed the last bottle on the rack, Tifa noticed she was alone in the room. Yuffie entered seconds later, holding two mugs of tea. She offered one to the barmaid and they each took a seat on the stools by the wall. Neither woman spoke for a while.

"I'm sorry."

"Yuffie?"

"Yesterday…" She trailed off.

"It's okay. I shouldn't have left like that. It was silly." Tifa looked at her.

"No. I was rude. I know you're only trying to…"

"Yuffie."

"…help me." The ninja looked at her feet.

"Let me. Please."

"I-I can't."

"Why not?" Tifa placed her tea on the floor and held Yuffie's hand. "Tell me."

"It's… I just want to forget, but I can't. It won't let me."

The barmaid looked at her, puzzled. Yuffie held her head. Tifa watched the tears fall and she held her tightly. "What are you trying to forget?" She whispered softly in her ear.

Yuffie pulled away suddenly and got up. Tifa feared she would run away again, but the ninja turned to face her.

"Part of me wishes it was just a dream." She took a deep breath. "But every night I see it. It's so real and I can't get away…"

Tifa watched as Yuffie closed her eyes. "When I hear it, I just freeze. Every time I try to run away, it stops me…" The ninja shuddered. "I feel so, _weak._ I'm supposed to be a ninja." She tried wiping her tears but it was no use, they seemed to be coming in rivulets now, blurring her vision. Yuffie felt her chest begin to tighten.

"Yuffie." She looked up, seeing Tifa at her side. She hadn't realised she was on the floor. The barmaid stroked her hair, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear.

"What happened the other night Tifa? Why did I wake up, on your lap?"

"I think… You had a nightmare," she paused. "It was Cloud who-"

"Cloud saw me?!" The ninja rose to her feet.

Tifa nodded. "He saw you…lying on the floor and…"

"…and?"

"Yuffie, it doesn't matter."

"It does! Tell me." She looked Tifa in the eyes. "_Please_. I have to know."

The barmaid sighed heavily. "He went to see if you were okay. When he tried to lift you, you started screaming, trying to get away. When I came in…you were pushed against the wall. At first you didn't seem to know it was me…"

"After Cloud went to bed, I stayed with you all night. Sometimes you'd wake up screaming again, fighting to get away and other times…"

"Tifa…?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. She looked at the older woman pleadingly.

"You cried out for your mother. You kept repeating '_I have to stay awake_' over and over." She looked at the ninja's tear stained face. "Do you remember? What were you seeing?"

"I can't." Yuffie shook her head. "I don't want to!"

Tifa grabbed her hands. "What did you see?"

"Hi-"

The front door closing drew their attention. Yuffie shot out of the room before Tifa could stop her. Taking a deep breath, she stood and smoothed down her black jeans. The barmaid could hear excited chattering coming from the bar area. _Marlene's home._

* * *

"_Yo this is Barret. Leave a message._"

"Barret Wallace, would you care to explain why you allowed your _eight year old daughter_ to go down a _mine shaft_?! What the hell were you thinking! Of all the things you could've done with her and you chose this? '_Just take her to the doctor next week_'? She could have broken her arm! I can't believe this. And then, to top it all off, you send _Cloud_ to collect her… Did you think I wouldn't notice her arm in a sling? _When_ I see you…" She ended the call, angrily throwing her phone on the bed.

Tifa could barely believe her eyes, when she saw Marlene standing next to Cloud, with her left arm bandaged, in a sling. She had tried to keep her temper in check, but when Marlene had gone out in the garden, she had exploded at Cloud. He didn't have many answers to her questions, which had infuriated her more. His relaxed attitude really irked Tifa. When the blonde excused himself to go to the garage, she had stormed to her room. Barret hadn't answered her calls which was unsurprising.

She sat down on her bed. Tifa had intended to take Marlene out over the weekend, but now with her sprained arm, she would have to rethink her plans. A gentle knock on the door made her look up.

"Tifa?"

"Come in sweetie."

Marlene walked in slowly and stood in front of her.

"Are you still mad at Daddy and Cloud?" The little girl gazed at Tifa.

"I'm not…" Seeing the look in her eyes, she hesitated. "A little."

"It's my fault. I begged Daddy to take me!"

"No, Marlene. It's your daddy's fault. He should not have let you go into the mine. He knew it was dangerous. I'm just glad you're not too badly hurt." She hugged Marlene and kissed her head.

"I missed you."

"I missed you more."

Marlene pulled away and looked at her. "Don't be mad at Cloud."

"Okay."

The barmaid stood up and Marlene held her hand. "Let's get something to eat."

"Yeah!"

They made their way to the kitchen and found Yuffie standing by the stove.

"Yuffie!" Marlene squealed excitedly.

"Marlene, you're back!" The ninja bent down and gave the smaller girl a gentle hug, ruffling her hair. "You've grown taller."

"I have?"

"Uh huh."

Marlene smiled. "Are you going to cook?"

"Yep."

"What? Oh no, Yuffie. You don't have to..."

"Tifa, I want to."

"You should rest."

"I have." The ninja looked at her. "Let me cook tonight."

Marlene watched the exchange between the two women and shook her head. "I'm hungry." They both looked at her.

"Sorry sweetie." She glanced at Yuffie. "Why don't we set the table in the bar?"

"I'll get the place mats!" She hurried off into the other room.

"Thanks."

"Yuffie…"

"Tifa. I just want to focus on something happy right now. I'm tired of crying." She returned to the stove.

"Sure."

* * *

Cloud walked into the bar and saw two and a half women seated at the main table, in the centre of the room. The youngest, looked up and beamed at him. He returned her smile. The barmaid briefly caught his eye and returned to staring at her plate. _She's still mad_. He took a vacant seat between Marlene and Yuffie. There was a large bowl in the middle of the table containing a mixture of foods. From what he could tell, it looked like a stir fry of some sort. Next to it was a big container of brown rice.

"Goya chanpuru," the ninja said. "It's a Wutaianese national dish."

"What's in it?"

"Goya, tofu, pork, mushrooms and egg."

"Goya?" Tifa looked over at the Wutaianese girl. "I don't think I've heard of the name."

"Bitter melon."

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds tasty." He glanced around the table. "So let's eat."

"Agreed," they all chorused.

Yuffie served everyone a portion of the chanpuru and advised them to take ample amounts of rice on their plates. "It can be very bitter, but if you eat enough pork, tofu and rice with it, it takes the edge off, a bit."

Marlene ate quickly and the adults watched her take generous spoonfuls into her mouth.

"It's very bitter." Cloud commented.

"It's called: _bitter_ melon, Cloud." The blonde looked at her.

"Thanks Tifa. I almost forgot."

"Anytime."

Marlene and Yuffie exchanged looks and shook their heads. They finished the rest of the meal in near silence. After clearing up, Yuffie took Marlene upstairs hoping to give the two a chance to talk.

"So you're just going to leave?"

"You know I'm meeting Barret tonight."

"Right, _Barret_." She reached into her pocket and brought out a piece of paper. "Here, give this to him."

Cloud took the paper and looked at Tifa. "Are you still mad at me?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Whether or not there's a reason for me to be mad at you."

"I didn't take her down the mine, Tifa."

"But you knew she had an _accident!_" She snapped.

"Barret didn't tell me when I spoke to him on Monda-"

"_Monday?!_ So you arranged this with him then?"

Cloud was silent.

"I should have known something was up when I saw you took the car."

"This isn't even about Marlene." He spoke softly.

"What?"

"I said-"

"I heard you."

"Tifa. Are you gonna tell me what this is about? I know we have a habit of arguing in the garage, but somehow I don't think it's about my _workshop_ this time."

"We're not having an argument. It's just a disagre-"

"Whatever you want to call it. I'm tired of being yelled it. Obviously this situation with Yuffie is bothering you." He paused and looked at her. "Did you speak to Reeve?"

"No."

He waited for her to continue. "Tifa?"

"His secretary said he was away. She wouldn't give me any details. She just said he would be back next Friday."

There was silence for a moment and all that could be heard was the ticking of the wall clock.

"I have to go…" He watched her stand there with a faraway expression on her face. "If you still...want to talk, I can call you when I'm out of town."

Tifa faced him. "No, Cloud. It's fine."

"I'm not sure how long this job will last, but I'll send you a message tomorrow."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about today. I… I took it out on you." She moved closer to him. "Be safe."

"I will. Bye Tifa."

"Bye Cloud."

Cloud pushed Fenrir outside and looked back at Tifa, smiling. She gave him a small wave. He got on the bike and started the engine. His phone rang and he answered quickly. "I'm on my way Barret." There was silence on the other end and before he could check the call screen, the line went dead. There was no breathing this time, only faint laughter. Replacing his phone, he gave a quick wave back to Tifa and sped off.

* * *

Tifa walked upstairs and found the girls in the living room. The coffee table had been moved next to the reclining chair and the cushions were spread out in front of the sofa. The smell of freshly popped corn hit her nostrils and she noticed the large bowl on the floor. Marlene smiled at her and Yuffie held up a selection of nail polish colours.

"Girls night in?"

"Yeah. I thought we could paint our nails, eat some popcorn and sing karaoke." The ninja laughed.

"Sounds like a plan."

Tifa joined them on the cushions. Yuffie told Marlene to go and choose the songs she wanted to sing, from the list next to the machine in the corner.

"So how was chocobo head?"

"Hm?" Seeing the look on her face, she frowned. "Okay, I guess. I kind of took it out on him…earlier."

"Yeah. I heard what I assumed was the voicemail you left Barret." Yuffie laughed. "You sounded pretty peed off," she looked over at Marlene. "Did gunarm really take her down a mine?"

Tifa nodded. "He did. She tripped and fell down some steps, landing on her arm."

"Poor girl. That must've really hurt. What was he doing, going mining? I thought he was supposed to be taking time off to relax with Marlene…."

"Yeah. I have no idea what he was thinking…" She turned to the ninja. "What kind of work does he do for the WRO?"

"Hm. Find 'renewable sources of energy'. Apart from oil, I haven't heard of any exciting new discoveries. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious. Do you see him around the office much?"

"Nope. He's…" Yuffie felt the martial artist's gaze. "…usually out in the field." _Like I should be._

Tifa sensed her unease and changed the subject. "What colour?" She pointed to the polishes in a row on the floor.

Yuffie looked to be deep in thought for a moment, before she pointed to the small bottle on the end. "Gold."

"Fit for a queen." Tifa smirked.

"One day."

"So you do intend to rule the kingdom of Wutai some day?" She tried to keep a straight face.

"Unless Godo had a kid before me, I kinda have to. It's my _duty_, remember?"

"Well, in that case. Would her royal highness grant me the honour, of permitting me to adorn her fair fingernails with gold paint, as befitting her rank?"

"I would," she replied, holding out her right hand.

Marlene returned and found them both shaking with laughter. She joined in, enjoying the sight of the two of them looking so happy. After painting Yuffie's nails, Tifa had moved on to Marlene. She had chosen pink. Tifa picked red and Yuffie was joined by Marlene. The little girl proved to have quite a steady hand. With all their nails done, the girls decided it was time for karaoke.

The lyrics were displayed on the television and each girl took their turn singing their selected tune. Marlene had been quite nervous at first but she soon warmed up. Tifa chose an upbeat tempo song that displayed her soulful voice. Yuffie and Marlene had been impressed. The barmaid's face was red when she sat back down. Yuffie closed her eyes while she sang, knowing the words off by heart. When she finished, she turned; opening her eyes and looking behind her. Tifa gazed at her in awe.

"That was amazing, Yuffie. I couldn't understand the words but the emotion…it really touched me."

"It was really good!" Marlene agreed.

"Thank you." She quickly took her seat and stared at her hands. Neither of them had mentioned the tears glistening in the ninja's eyes, when she turned to face them.

The girls then watched a movie. Marlene fell asleep soon afterwards and Tifa eventually carried her to bed.

Yuffie lay down on the cushions and looked up at the ceiling. She thought about her earlier talk with Tifa in the cellar. The ninja found it hard to believe what the barmaid had told her. _That explains why Cloud was watching me like I was going to break or something. _The ninja wiped a tear from her eye. She had come so close to telling the martial artist today. _Would she even have believed me?_

Yuffie still doubted herself. She often questioned her memory and she wondered if it had all been a dream; a nightmare she'd conjured up in her mind. A strong throbbing sensation reminded Yuffie of the scar running down her back. _It __**was**__ real_. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She just hoped the night would pass quickly.

* * *

Tifa ran the tap and rinsed the last breakfast bowl; placing it on the draining board. She looked up and saw Yuffie with Marlene in the garden. The days were much brighter now and the temperatures were steadily rising. She pressed the button on the radio and waited for the music to begin.

"_We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news." _The anchorwoman paused; Tifa assumed for dramatic effect.

"_Just after 6 am this morning, Midgar Standard Time, a large explosion was reported in the town of Nibelheim, located at the base of the Nibel mountain range. There have been no reported deaths as of yet, however that is expected to change as more details emerge. The World Regenesis Organization's head, Reeve Tuesti, was unavailable for comment. A WRO spokesman said they would be investigating the incident and he did not want to speculate on any possible causes._

_Some have questioned whether this could have been a terroist atta-"_

Tifa turned off the radio. She glanced at Yuffie as she walked in.

"Did you hear about the explo-"

"I saw it on the news earlier." Her tone was flat.

"I wonder who's responsible..."

"I'm going to take a shower." Yuffie left the room and went up the stairs.

Tifa stared after her. _Is this about work?_ She sighed. Marlene was now sitting on the grass eating a banana. She had come so close to getting the ninja to open up to her. Tifa hoped she could get Yuffie to talk to her again, but with Marlene back and Cloud gone for the weekend, they would have little time alone together. _Maybe after Marlene goes to bed…_

She felt a tug on her shirt. "Tifa?"

"Yes Marlene."

The young girl held up a small flyer. It was advertising a fair that would be in town for the week. "Please?"

"Hm. I don't know… You should be resting your arm."

"Tifa please! I really want to go." Marlene gave her best puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, we'll go. But only for a couple of hours." She smiled.

"Yay! I can't wait!" She practically ran upstairs.

Tifa spotted Yuffie sitting in the bar area and walked over. "What are you reading?"

"I'm not sure." The barmaid gave her an odd look. "It's an old book from back home. It's written in the ancient language, which I can just about read, but it makes no sense," she finished shaking her head and closed the book.

"I'm taking Marlene to the fair," she said, showing her the flyer. "Want to come?"

"Nah, I'll pass thanks." She looked at Marlene as she entered the bar. "Don't wanna intrude on the mother daughter bonding." She got up, book in hand and ruffled Marlene's hair as she walked past. "You two have fun."

"We will, won't we Tifa?"

"You bet." She held out her hand to the young girl. "Let's get going then." They stepped outside and went to the car. As she pulled out of the driveway, Tifa hoped Yuffie would be fine today.

* * *

_I guess it worked. _She stared up at the bust of Shiva and smiled. Her blue orbs seemed to sparkle in response.

Yuffie walked over to the bench and sat down. She enjoyed her walk yesterday with Abe. Listening to him talk about his youth, had helped take her mind off her troubles. Yuffie felt comfortable with Abe; he made her feel _safe._ She had asked him what happened to his nose. He then told her the story of taking on four guys to _"defend his girl"_. His nose had been broken in the process and his family couldn't afford reconstructive surgery, so he had been left with a crooked nose. Abe didn't look the type to get into fights and he had said as much.

"…_but some things are worth fighting for. If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything."_

Yuffie saw a couple walking by the daffodils and sighed. She had never given much thought to having a boyfriend. The ninja remembered her father introducing her to a boy who, he told her, was from a distinguished family. The boy was nice, but definitely not her type; whatever her type was.

She had offers at work, but they were never anything serious. Yuffie had thought that perhaps her tomboyish style was sending out the wrong message. She once overheard a couple of office grunts questioning her sexuality and Yuffie had been shocked. The next day, she'd click clacked her way into the office and smirked as half the men in the room gaped at her. Yuffie was certain she'd caught Vincent staring at her during the senior officers' meeting.

_Vincent. _The ninja had been excited to be working with Vincent at first. He was a man of few words, Yuffie knew, but he didn't patronise her like the others did. Working with the gunman was less fun than she imagined, but she still enjoyed their missions together. Things had changed after their last operation in Costa del Sol.

Yuffie knew they were on a mission and she had worked just as hard, if not harder, to ensure they gathered the right intelligence. All she had done was accept an invitation to a beach party, after their work was done. She didn't often let her hair down and she was glad for the chance to have some fun. The ninja hadn't expected Vincent to spy on her and then report back to Reeve, accusing her of 'compromising the mission' and 'behaving inappropriately'. _Behaving inappropriately? Since when was kissing a guy, on the cheek, behaving inappropriately? _

He had humiliated Yuffie, in front of their whole office, by practically excusing the ninja of throwing herself at the man. Yuffie had slapped him, hard. Ever since that day, she only spoke to him about work, if it was absolutely necessary.

"Where is he?" She looked at her watch. "It's almost 2 pm…" _I guess he's not coming. _Yuffie stood and made her way to the gate. She scanned the park once more before leaving.

She crossed the street and briefly stood, watching the people enjoying their Saturday. She continued down the street and turned right into a small passage. As Yuffie reached the end, she heard footsteps behind her. She moved to let them pass by. When she turned to look back, she didn't see anyone. Shaking her head, she continued walking. The passage lead out to a large square surrounded by small apartments. A series of apple and pear trees had been planted recently. The residents had started a community garden in the centre, that Yuffie remembered buying honey from last Fall.

When she neared the road, she heard the footsteps again. She stopped and looked ahead. There were only three more streets to go until she reached the bar. The ninja heard the footsteps pause behind her. Yuffie crossed the road quickly. She tried to keep her breathing steady, but she could feel the panic begin to seep in. Someone was following her, she was sure of it. Yuffie increased her pace. There was no else around. _What I would give to just run into Johnny again. _The ninja came to the next turning and she distinctly heard the footsteps speed up. It took all of her willpower not to scream. _Only a couple more streets to go and I'll be home._

Yuffie quickened her pace again and made it to the end of the street, when she ran straight into someone. The ninja screamed.

"Yuffie?" He saw the panic in her face. "Is everything alright?"

"A-Abe?" She could barely breathe and her head was starting to spin. "Wha..."

He reached his arm out to touch her and she jumped back. "Sta-stay away!"

"Yuffie?" He stepped towards her.

"Get away from me!"

"Yuffie. Calm down. It's me: Abe. We've met before. We went for a walk together in the park, yesterday, remember?"

The ninja continued backing away from him, shaking her head. She clutched her chest; she had to get home.

"Yuffie," he tried again. "Were you waiting for me? I'm sorry, I was held up. I was just on my way to the bar, hoping to see you."

The ninja took a cautious step forward and then she heard the footsteps again.

Yuffie took off as fast as her legs could carry her and didn't look back. She felt her heart beating in her chest and she knew she didn't have long. Fumbling for her keys, she swiftly unlocked the door and rushed inside, bolting it closed behind her. She then sank to the floor in sobs. The ninja clutched her chest again and tried to regain control of her erratic breathing. Shakily, she got to her feet. _Water._ Before she made it to the kitchen, she was hit with an intense wave and Yuffie felt the wind knocked out of her. She gasped for breath, holding her chest tightly.

As her eyelids closed, Yuffie saw the white light glowing in the distance.

* * *

Tifa helped Marlene out of the car and looked up at the night sky. What had started out as a quick visit to the fair, had turned into an all day outing. Her arms sagged slightly under the weight of the numerous shopping bags. After finally managing to drag Marlene away from the fair, they stopped by the mall and spent more than three hours shopping. They had both been tired and hungry, so they ate dinner at the new sushi restaurant. _Yuffie's probably wondering where we went to. I should have called her…_

Tifa was glad to spend the day with Marlene. She really missed having her around and though it had only been two weeks, it felt like she hadn't seen the little girl in months.

They stepped into the bar and she set her bags down. She reached for the light and blinked as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. Tifa watched as Marlene rifled through her bag of new toys, she bought her at the mall earlier, and smiled. She picked up the food bags and walked towards the kitchen. She wasn't able to contain the scream quick enough and she dropped her bags. Marlene came rushing over and stopped by her side.

"Yuffie!" She cried.

"Marlene, will you go and wait by your toy bag?" When she saw her open her mouth in protest, she added: "Please. Yuffie's okay. Just wait for me."

Marlene reluctantly walked back to the table by the door and sat down.

Tifa crouched down next to Yuffie and touched her neck. She let out a shaky breath when she felt the strong pulse. The barmaid stroked her cheek and spoke softly. "Yuffie. Wake up sweetie."

At first there was no reaction and Tifa grasped her right hand firmly. "Yuffie, it's Tifa. Please open your eyes." She nearly jumped when she felt a tight squeeze on her hand. Slowly the ninja opened her eyes and met her gaze.

Yuffie looked around. "What…happened?"

"I could ask you the same question." She blinked away a tear. "Oh Yuffie, you scared me… I thou-"

"Yuffie! You're awake!"

"Marlene? I thought I told you to-"

"It's okay," Yuffie said, sitting up.

"Why are you on the floor?"

"Oh…" She looked briefly at Tifa. "I fell asleep."

"On the floor?" Marlene quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh huh. I was doing one of my stretches, where I had to lie on the floor, and I was so tired afterwards that I must have fallen asleep."

Marlene looked at Tifa. "You did look tired this morning…" The barmaid supplied.

"I was," she admitted.

Marlene laughed. "Yuffie, you're funny."

"I try," she said winking. She felt Tifa's stare. "Well, I should probably get to my actual bed." Yuffie made to get up.

"What about dinner?"

"I already ate." The barmaid's look told her she didn't believe her, but Tifa said nothing. The ninja stretched and looked over at the table in the far corner. "Looks like you too hit the mall."

"We did."

"The fair was a lot of fun. I won a moogle toy."

"That's great Marlene." Yuffie feigned a yawn. "You can show me all your new toys tomorrow. I'll see you in the morning." She bent down and gave her a hug. "Good night."

"Good night Yuffie."

Tifa watched as she made her way to the stairs and turned to Marlene.

"Let's unpack those bags," she said, holding up her right hand.

"Yeah!" Marlene gave her a small high five.

Marlene chatted happily to her, while they put the shopping away in the kitchen. She struggled to concentrate on what the girl was saying, as her thoughts were elsewhere. Marlene had insisted on staying in her room that night, so she knew there was little chance of her speaking to Yuffie in private. On her way to bed, she stopped by her room. Tifa knew she wasn't sleeping. She was certain Yuffie had been out cold for hours. She knocked gently on the door.

"Yuffie…" _What am I supposed to say? _"I've arranged a playdate for Marlene tomorrow afternoon. I thought maybe…maybe we could talk?" She heard shuffling and guessed the ninja had moved to stand by the door. "See you in the morning."

She stood for a moment watching the door, hoping Yuffie would open it. The martial artist then turned and walked to her bedroom. Marlene was snuggled under the covers holding her moogle.

"It's late. You should be sleeping."

"I was waiting for you."

Tifa shook her head and joined her. She stroked her hair. Marlene nestled into her arms and yawned loudly.

"Sleep."

Marlene closed her eyes and Tifa listened to the rhythmic beating of her heart. She felt tiredness sweep across her and she closed her eyes.

"Is Yuffie feeling better?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Marlene didn't answer straightaway. Tifa sat up and looked at her, confusion clouding her features.

"Before I went to stay with Daddy," she began. "I came upstairs and I heard Yuffie. It sounded like she was crying."

Tifa stroked her hair and waited for her to continue.

"When I went closer to her room, I heard her speaking. I didn't understand what she was saying."

"It's okay Marlene."

"Then she started screaming and I ran back downstairs," she finished quietly.

Tifa hugged her. "Thank you for telling me."

"Is she going to be okay?"

Tifa looked at her and spoke. "Yes. Yuffie is going to be fine, Marlene. I promise."

As they settled back under the duvet, Tifa hoped she'd be able to keep that promise.


	5. Chapter 5

Tifa and Marlene ate breakfast in the backyard. Yuffie didn't join them and the barmaid was surprised Marlene hadn't asked why. She assumed the ninja wanted to be alone and Tifa was doubtful Yuffie had gotten much sleep. _Maybe she just needs to rest today. _Tifa thought about what Marlene told her last night and sighed heavily.

She was trying to be patient with the ninja, but the martial artist wasn't sure how much longer she could wait. Tifa was certain that Yuffie had collapsed in the bar yesterday. There was no way she had simply fallen asleep after exercising on the floor. _Since when did she train in the bar?_ Tifa had only played along to avoid worrying Marlene, but the fact was: Marlene was already worried and so was she. The little girl had clearly seen through the ninja's act; her confession last night proved it. Looking at Marlene's smiling face, Tifa made up her mind: she would confront Yuffie and find out the truth, one way or another.

At 12:30, the barmaid walked Marlene over to the small apartment complex, next to the community garden, for her playdate. Marlene was very excited to be seeing Aryll again and she practically skipped the whole way there. _I guess two weeks away is a long time when you're eight._ Aryll was a nice girl, with good parents, and Tifa was glad she had made a new friend. Her mother wasn't much older than Tifa and had invited the barmaid out for drinks a few times.

"Hello Marlene," Letta smiled kindly at her. "How's your arm feeling?"

"Hi! It's okay. Tifa's taking me to the doctor on Wednesday." She looked at her feet.

"Aryll's in her room," she said, stepping aside to let her pass.

Marlene hugged the barmaid and went inside quickly.

"Be good and do what Letta tells you," the barmaid instructed. "Oh and watch out for your arm!"

"I will!" She called back. "Bye Tifa."

"Don't worry, I'll make sure she takes it easy. We've dealt with a sprain in the past so I know how it is."

"Thanks. I'm probably worrying too much, as per usual." The barmaid shook her head. "I'll pick her up at 5 pm."

"Sure," Letta paused, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She looked at the brunette. "You look like you could do with a drink, Tifa. Are you sure you don't want to come in for a glass?"

"Letta, I'd love to but…" The redhead looked at her questioningly. "I just have a lot of work to get on with at the bar and with Cloud gone…"

"Of course. Maybe another time?"

"Yeah. I'd like that, thanks." Tifa smiled.

"Anytime." A burning smell suddenly filled the air. "Ah! The chicken!" She glanced back at the barmaid. "I better go try salvage what's left of lunch. See you later," she said laughing.

When she returned to 7th Heaven, Yuffie wasn't in the bar and the martial artist didn't find her in the kitchen. Tifa made her way up the stairs and stood outside the ninja's room. She slowly raised her right hand and knocked gently. There was no answer. She knocked again. When the barmaid still received no response, she opened the door and peered inside. "Yuffie?" Tifa stepped into the room and looked around. The barmaid immediately spotted the bed was neatly made and the ninja's backpack was missing.

Walking over to the dresser, the barmaid felt a light breeze and noticed the open window. She went over to it and looked down at the street below. _She didn't…_ Shaking her head, she closed the window and moved to the chair beside the bed. Tifa reached into her jeans pocket and took out her phone. A few seconds after touching the call button, she heard a familiar ringtone. Looking behind her, she saw the vibrating cell phone lying next to the turquoise pillow. Sighing, she ended the call and reached down to retrieve the phone. As she did so, something red caught her eye; it was a small book.

Tifa picked it up and scanned the cover. There was no image on the front or any title. _It must be her notebook._ Tifa hesitated. She didn't want to invade Yuffie's privacy, but if the ninja had written anything that could give her some clue as to what was wrong… The barmaid fingered the cover slowly.

A strong vibration at her side made the martial artist jump, dropping the notebook. _Damn phone._ She answered it quickly.

"What?"

"Tifa- Is something wrong?" He scratched his head. "Did I call at a bad time? I ca-"

"Cloud, it's fine. I just wasn't expecting a call."

The blonde laughed. "You don't sound fine."

"Did you need something?"

He noted the tone of her voice. "I just called to let you know I should be back tonight. It looks like Barret- I mean the job was pretty much finished when I got here."

"Okay," she said evenly.

"Uh. Well I better get back…"

"Yeah." She heard him sigh. "Bye Cloud."

"Bye."

Tifa closed the phone and slid it into her back pocket. Deciding it was a bad idea to come into the ninja's room, she bent down and lifted the notebook. Glancing at it briefly, she stopped at a familiar phrase. _"I have to stay awake"._ The barmaid saw it repeated across the page. Flipping through the diary, Tifa saw the same sentence written over and over.

When she reached the last page, she paused. The writing was badly smudged and as Tifa ran her index finger over the script, her breath hitched. _They're tears. _The writing was now largely illegible. She studied the page carefully and came across a sentence she was barely able to make out.

"_I should have stayed home that night."_

Light footsteps sounded on the stairs and Tifa shut the book quickly, replacing it on the bed. Glancing around the room once more, she left.

* * *

Yuffie looked up at the large wooden arch in front of her. _What am I doing here?_ She turned to leave, when a small gust of wind blew across her face, causing the young woman to touch her cheek.

The ninja breathed heavily and pushed open the large doors. Slowly, she walked up the aisle. It was hard to believe that just a year ago, the building had been in ruins. The people of Edge had all pitched in to help rebuild the church. The stained glass windows had been replaced and each pane was ornately decorated with designs drawn by the children. The ninja looked over at the gigantic bird emerging from a mass of flames. Yuffie remembered helping Marlene with the image of a phoenix she had chosen.

Pink petunias hung from baskets attached to the four central pillars. As the young woman continued up the central walkway, the sound of her boots hitting the stone floor echoed around the room. The ninja suddenly felt small and insignificant as she glanced up at the high ceiling. The large crystal dome reflected the Sun's rays down onto the altar, and she watched as the colour spectrum appeared on its surface. Yuffie stopped before a familiar face and smiled weakly.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to see you in a while…" She wiped the tear threatening to fall, from her eye. "I just… I missed you."

* * *

Cloud stared at the entrance to the mine. The sunlight did little to illuminate the opening. The sound of throat clearing drew his attention and he moved his gaze over to the muscular man stood next to him.

"So are you going to tell me what's going on?" The blonde inquired. "Why did you call me out here? It's obvious you already had the job taken care of."

Barret looked away briefly. "It's about the mine."

"I guessed that."

"There's…somethin' strange goin' on."

"Strange? Like what?" Cloud scratched his head.

"I don't really get it. It don't make no sense."

"Barret what are you taking about?" The large man's cryptic speech was starting to wear his patience. "Is something wrong with the mine?"

"No. I mean, I don't think so…"

_This is like pulling teeth._ "Well if there's nothing wrong, why am I here?"

The large man sighed and took a few steps further inside the cave. "I had an idea to reopen some of them mines we got round here and Reeve sent a team of men to help. At first we didn't find nothing special, mainly junk ore, but then one of the men said he found a tunnel leading much deeper into the mine. I took the most experienced team down to check it out, see if it was safe." Barret paused.

"Everything seemed normal. We followed the path and then that's when we saw it."

"It?"

"Gold, Spike. Lots of it." Barret shook his head. "The room was full of it. Never seen that much gold before, probably never will again."

"Gold?"

"The men really thought we hit the jackpot."

"But you weren't so sure," Cloud offered.

"Uh uh. Don't get me wrong. I got a good look at the gold and it was real, no tungsten or nothin'. But I just didn't get it. Who would leave all that gold just lying there…?"

"They didn't."

"Huh?" Barret looked at the blonde.

"It was hidden."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Called Reeve to let him know and he thought the same. He said until we could find out who left it there and why, we should leave it. I told him I'd do some investigatin'. He told me he'd send his top intel agent to see if it was hot."

Barret was silent for a while and Cloud slowly understood. "Yuffie?"

"Yeah," he laughed.

"When was this?"

"Uh, 'bout couple months back now." Barret looked back at the blonde. "Why?"

"No reason."

"Anyway, in the meantime, I told the men to keep quiet about what we found until I heard back from Reeve. They were pretty disappointed. Guess they were hoping to get their share since there was so damn much of it. I gotta admit I was tempted…" He chuckled lightly. "I told them when it all checked out okay, they wouldn't be leavin' empty handed. So we blocked up the tunnel and left."

"Let me guess: they couldn't wait that long."

"I didn't suspect nothin' at first. Everythin' was goin' fine, until one night, I heard some of the men talkin' when I was on my way back to the inn. They were arguin' 'bout going down again after what they saw last time."

"What they saw?" Cloud furrowed his brow.

"Yeah…"

"Barret?"

"One of 'em wanted to put back the gold they took but the others didn't agree. He said he kept seein' stuff and he was goin' down there to return his share. They started shouting and I thought maybe a fight was gonna break out. So I came 'round the corner to confront them. At first they denied it but eventually the younger man talked. He tells me all about seein' people they shouldn't be seein'."

"People they shouldn't be seeing?"

"Ghosts." The large man laughed uncomfortably. Cloud gave him an odd look. "It's ridiculous, I know."

"So what happened?" Cloud pressed him.

"I told them to put back the gold and we'd say no more 'bout it." The large man paused. The blonde assumed there was more to the _confrontation_ than he was letting on. "I thought that was the end of it."

"But it wasn't, right?"

"Right. The snitch told me that he heard other people say they seen strange things down the mine. I asked around the village and nobody said much 'cept this old man." Barret rubbed his gunarm absentmindedly. "He said the mine was haunted."

"Haunted?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, I thought it was bull too. The man seemed so sure though. He told me he saw his dead daughter once when he was working down in the mine. It scared him so much he quit." Barret paused for a long time and Cloud thought he had finished.

"Anyway, it weren't 'til one of my men went missin' that I started to think that somethin' was goin' on."

"Missing? Who was it?"

"The guy who talked first that night. After we had finished for the day, he didn't come back. We searched all night but found nothin'. We continued in the morning but by lunchtime we still couldn't find him and then another man went missin'… I called Reeve and told him 'bout it and what I heard. The only connection he saw was that they had all been part of the team I took…"

"Into the room full of gold," the blonde finished.

"Uh huh. He told me to stop the mining and send the rest of the guys back to HQ for debriefin'. He said Vincent and Yuffie were already on it since they found something."

"What?"

"Don't know. He didn't say. Guess it was on a need to know basis." Barret seemed unhappy with this.

"So what about that man you spoke to?"

"Couldn't find him either. No one seemed to know who he was."

"That's strange," Cloud commented.

"Yeah. It is." Barret returned to stand next to Cloud.

"Has there been any sign of the men that went missing?"

"Nothin'. Reeve thinks they made off with the gold. The guys he spoke to admitted that was the plan."

"But you're not so sure."

"What makes you say that?"

Cloud paused and turned to face the larger man. "Barret, what happened to Marlene?"

The man jumped slightly. "I told you. She had an accident. It was just a fa-"

"Why would you take her down a mine when you knew the risks and two people had recently been reported missing? It just doesn't make sense…" He sighed. "What are you not saying?"

"Nothin'. It was just an accident. I was careless. I messed up bad. Tifa's gonna have my ass next time I see her."

"Did you see something?" He spoke softly.

"I… What do you mean?"

"All the other guys who went in and saw the gold reported seeing strange things; _ghosts,_ right?" Cloud saw the older man shudder slightly.

After a long silence, Barret spoke, barely above a whisper. "I didn't take her Spike. She said…" He shook his head. "It was late…my eyes musta played tricks on me or somethin'…"

"What do you me-"

"I'm hungry." The large man said suddenly. "Why don't we go get some food?" Barret started walking down the path leading back to the village. Cloud sighed and followed behind him.

* * *

Despite his earlier claim, Barret ate very little. He spent most of the time staring around the small restaurant, avoiding eye contact with Cloud. The blonde finished his meal quickly and though it wasn't the best roast he had ever tasted, it was very filling. An image of the barmaid flashed in his mind. _Why did she sound so irritated on the phone earlier?_ Cloud wondered if she was still angry with him. Remembering her apology, the blonde pushed the thought aside.

The blonde watched as an elderly man turned on the large flat screen television, attached to the far wall. Several heads turned in its direction when news of the explosion in Nibelheim came on. According to the latest reports, at least twenty people had died in the blast and more than fifty had been injured. A spokeswoman for the WRO appeared on screen, trying to quell the rumours of a possible terrorist attack, whilst failing to provide any evidence on the contrary. From what Cloud could gather, the explosion occurred during the Spring festival just after sunset.

Cloud remembered celebrating the Spring Equinox with his mother as a child and praying for the spirit of his father. He barely remembered him, yet he always strove to be as brave and strong as his mother told him his father had been. Cloud tried not to think of his mother often. The memories of her smiling face were now marred with his feelings of remorse and regret. He hadn't been strong enough to protect her, to save her. Cloud hoped his mother had perished in the fires and not been subjected to the horrific experiments Professor Hojo inflicted upon his victims. _Mom._ He looked up and saw Barret watching him closely.

"Somethin' wrong Spike?"

"No." He looked towards the television. "So what do you think of this explosion?"

"Hm. Somethin' definitely ain't right." The large man folded his arms.

"Yeah."

"I got a call from Vincent yesterday."

"What was it about?"

Barret looked around the room briefly before returning his attention to Cloud. "Reeve sent him to investigate and he said he found somethin'…strange. He didn't give me no details, but that's Vincent. I'm still surprised he actually called my phone! First you start answerin' yo phone and then he starts calling. What's next, Yuffie givin' up materia huntin'?" The muscular man banged his hand on the table roaring with laughter, drawing a few curious looks from the other tables.

Cloud didn't respond. He watched Barret's amusement die down.

"Speakin' of Yuffie, she say somethin' about any of this?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well ain't that her job? I mean she's Vincent partner. Didn't she go with him to Nibelheim?"

"Yuffie's back at the bar with Tifa," he said slowly. "Tifa told me that Yuffie said she had been reassigned-"

"What?!" Barret exclaimed.

"…to head up a Wutaianese division."

"I never heard nothin' 'bout that. Didn't think Reeve would want to get in Godo's way. It's no secret he don't approve of his daughter working for the WRO…" The muscular man stroked his chin, glancing over at a nearby table. He watched the family share a joke. "To be honest, if she were my kid, I wouldn't either. I mean she's too youn-"

"But not too young to save you from a public execution?" The blonde offered.

"Uh. Well…I mean…no…" Barret looked at his plate. "I guess she's grown now," he conceded.

"How is she at work?" Cloud asked quickly.

The question caught him off guard and he looked up suddenly. "Eh? What do you mean?"

"I mean," Cloud began, trying to choose his words carefully. "What's it like working with her at the WRO?"

"No idea."

Cloud quirked his eyebrow.

"We don't exactly work together Spike. I'm out in the field." He rubbed his head. "If you're so curious why don't you just ask Vincent; he's been workin' with her for a year ain't he?"

"Yeah. He has."

Their conversation dwindled and the two men made their way back to the inn. Cloud considered pressing the large man further, about the events in the mine, however, he doubted it would achieve much; Barret wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart. The blonde thought about the large man's words. Though Tifa had said they weren't on the friendliest of terms, he thought it wouldn't hurt to at least ask the gunman about Yuffie's reassignment. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but Cloud had a feeling there was a lot more to the story than the young ninja had shared with the martial artist.

* * *

Tifa stood outside 7th Heaven and sighed. The windows were _filthy._ It didn't matter how hard or for how long she scrubbed them clean, it seemed, that within a matter of days, the glass would be just as dirty; almost as if she hadn't washed them at all. Cloud never seemed to notice, of course. He thought she was just being overly conscious. OCD he meant, but the barmaid knew he'd never say it: to her face. Tifa thought about their brief conversation at lunch time. The martial artist knew she'd been very short with him and she hadn't meant to be. Cloud just caught her at the wrong time.

_I really laid into him the other night._ It hadn't been about Marlene; they both knew that, but it wasn't just about Yuffie either. _Yuffie…_

The ninja had been in the living room and walked downstairs when she heard the footsteps. _What if she had gone to her room?_ Tifa knew she wouldn't have been able to talk herself out of that. Yuffie would have caught the barmaid reading her diary. The martial artist still felt bad about invading her privacy. She hoped to talk with her, but after receiving no reply to any calls or texts, it was clear to Tifa that Yuffie was avoiding her.

She wished Cloud had arrived later on Friday. _She was going to tell me._ _"I have to stay awake." What does that mean? _Tifa remembered Marlene telling her she heard Yuffie saying the exact same phrase. The martial artist wondered if this was related to her nightmares. Tifa wasn't sure what to make of what Yuffie told her in the cellar. It almost sounded like she was recounting a memory… _"I should have stayed home that night."_ What happened? Tifa knew if she asked it would give her away, and Yuffie would be hurt, but if she didn't get to the bottom of this…

"Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Miss Lockhart?"

Tifa turned around to face the voice, sponge in hand. "Yes?" She studied his features. "Have we met before?"

"Informally, yes." He removed his plaid cap. "I've come to the bar a couple times. My name is Abe."

"Oh yes, I remember you," she paused, dropping the sponge in the bucket. "You're a friend of Yuffie's?"

"Well…yes, I would like to think so." He saw the quizzical look on the barmaid's face. "We only met recently, but we have talked a few times. I met her in the park on Friday, in fact."

"Friday?" _So that's where she went._ "I'm sorry, Abe, she's not home at the moment but I ca-"

"No. It's alright." He looked at the sky briefly before returning his gaze to her face. "It's you I came to see."

"_Me?_ Why?" Tifa folded her arms.

"It's about Yuffie."

The barmaid looked at his face and frowned. Abe was slightly taller than her and his greying hair was neatly combed. It looked like his nose had been broken previously and his clear blue eyes reflected the light, causing them to look as if they were shimmering. His thin lips were pursed and he seemed to be studying her. When she realised, Tifa was brought back to attention and she took a shallow breath.

"Miss Lockhart?"

"Tifa. Call me Tifa."

"Short for Tiffany?"

"No, not really." She looked at him. "It was meant to be."

"It's nice," he smiled.

"Thank you." She reached down to pick up the bucket. "Abe, would you like to come inside for a drink?"

"Yes, thank you."

* * *

The ninja stared up at the Sun and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths and imagined herself bathed in warmth. Yuffie felt herself being lifted slowly; her body weightless, as she was gradually engulfed in the light. Her fingers began to tingle and she flexed them instinctively. The sensation travelled up her hands and into her arms, eventually spreading across her entire body. Yuffie opened her eyes and gasped. She was floating above the clouds, staring directly at the Sun. She moved to shield her eyes but felt a light touch on her left cheek.

The ninja placed a hand on her face and let the heat seep into her fingers. She looked at the Sun then, and felt the brilliance hit her suddenly. Her feet lowered slowly onto the cloud and she began walking forward. Yuffie had always wondered what it felt like to walk on the clouds. Would it feel cold or wet? Would she fall through them? Were clouds firm or bouncy? She was surprised then, to learn that it was neither wet nor cold; firm nor bouncy and she didn't fall through. The cloud felt like nothing. Yuffie stared down at her feet as she walked. Though she saw each step her feet took on the cloud, the ninja couldn't feel any sensation beneath them. _When did I take my shoes off?_

She came to a halt and marvelled at the sight. Yuffie was standing right in front of the massive sphere. She saw the various tints of yellow, red and orange swirling in a mass before her. The ninja was mesmerised as she watched the colours blend together and then separate into distinct hues once again. The more she watched, the faster the display seemed to get, until it stopped, suddenly. Yuffie held her breath. Almost as abruptly as it had stopped, the gases began to swirl again; this time larger than before. As she stood transfixed, she began to notice a pattern to the movements. _They're rotating at different angles._

Almost as soon as she made this observation, the gasses merged once more and then slowly parted. They formed three solid rings around the sphere. Yuffie was unable to see the globe clearly, despite the rings now being apart from it. She tried to take a step forward, but felt a great burst of energy block her path. _What is this?_ She continued to watch as the rings began to pick up speed and circle the globe. The globe then began violently spinning and the rings were enveloped in bright flames that appeared on the surface. Soon, the whole globe was alight and Yuffie felt the blazing heat brush her face.

Stepping back, she felt a familiar sensation. Closing her eyes, Yuffie wished she was back at the church, but when she opened her eyes, all she saw was darkness. The ninja opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. She looked around wildly, hoping to make out a way to leave this void. A small flicker caught her attention and she turned to look at it. The light was just faintly twinkling in the distance. Slowly, the white light began to grow brighter. Her heart beat loudly and she felt the beads of sweat pool on her forehead.

Gingerly, she raised her right hand. Closing her eyes again, she reached out and instead of feeling the heat, she felt wetness on her hand. Shocked, she opened her eyes. Everything was quiet. Yuffie took a small step forward and felt herself falling. After struggling for a few seconds, she realised where she was. Instantly, the loud sound of water cascading down, onto the slabs below, reached her ears. She looked up at the waterfall and watched the continuous rush hit the smooth rocks and flow down into the large pool of water below. She shuddered and glanced down.

Confusion clouded her features and she looked to her right and saw a pile of clothes, thrown together in a heap. Slowly, Yuffie got out of the pool and sat down on a slate. She looked upwards and saw the Sun shining brightly. Shaking her head, she stood and went over to her clothes. The ninja dressed quickly and then followed the winding path back to the car. She reached into her shorts pocket and held up her hand. Yuffie looked at the pink flower in her right palm and smiled.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

She reached Edge just after three and pulled into the driveway of 7th Heaven. As she stepped out of the car, Yuffie saw a man she recognised leaving the bar. The ninja watched him walk down the street and turn in the direction of the park. The ninja considered following him, but thought better of it and closed the door. Yuffie entered the bar and found Tifa clearing away two glasses on her way to the kitchen. The barmaid looked up and smiled.

"Yuffie."

Ignoring her, the ninja made her way to the stairs.

"Wait!" Tifa rushed to her side. "Where are you going?"

"My room." Yuffie took a step forward.

"Where have you been?"

"Out."

"Yuf, you didn't come down for breakfast. I was wonder-"

"I wasn't hungry."

"Okay," she said, setting the glasses down on the counter. "I…was hoping we could talk."

"About what?" Yuffie turned to look at her.

"What happened yesterday in the bar...before we came back."

"Nothing happened."

"You collapsed didn't you?"

The ninja turned away from her.

"Please Yuffie. Tell me what's going on." Tifa paused, hesitating. Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "Why do you have to '_stay awake_'?"

Yuffie spun round so quickly, the barmaid took an involuntary step backwards. Her face paled and she closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall. She felt Tifa motion towards her and she shook her head.

"No."

"Yuffie? Why? Tell me: what does it mean?"

"_I said no!_" She screamed, turning on her heels and running up the stairs. Yuffie could hear Tifa calling after her, but she didn't stop until she reached her room and shut the door behind her.

She could feel her heart beating heavily inside her chest and her body shaking slightly. "No!" She violently shook her head, trying to banish the sinking feeling sweeping across her body. Yuffie took a step forward and she felt her legs trembling. The ninja made it over to the bed and eased herself onto it. _Deep, slow, breaths Yuffie. Come on. You can do this. _Slowly, she closed her eyes.

The ninja could almost feel the water as she visualised herself floating in the centre of the large pool. Yuffie allowed her body to drift along with the small current. The gentle waves soothed her nerves and she felt the tension begin to slip away. She heard the crashing sound of the waterfall and she opened her eyes. _I did it._ The ninja smiled as she moved into a front crawl and swam over to the ledge. The ninja climbed onto the smooth rock and walked carefully along the path leading to the small cavern behind the waterfall. She glanced behind her and watched as the water gushed down into the pool below.

The rushing sound of the water filled her ears suddenly and she continued walking into the cave. The ledge narrowed as she followed it upwards. She occasionally saw stalactites drip into the water below and the sound echoed across the cavern. Glancing down, Yuffie saw that she was now quite high up; the water was barely visible and the waterfall had long since faded from view. She stopped as the path ended and she saw there was no way forward.

Though she was quite far inside, the cave was still well lit and the ninja wondered where the light was coming from. She scanned the cavern and saw no obvious source of illumination. Sighing, Yuffie sat down on the ledge and swung her legs absentmindedly. She rested her head against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. _Well this is boring._ She looked back towards the entrance. _I guess I should head back._ Yuffie stood up and started walking in the direction of the waterfall. She walked for a while before she realised that the ledge was much narrower than she remembered.

The ninja found it increasingly difficult to walk comfortably and eventually she had to shuffle herself forward. When the ledge ended, Yuffie shook her head. _Did I take a wrong turn? _She turned around, intending to go back, but was shocked when she saw there was nowhere for her to go.

"What the hel-" Yuffie felt the ground give way and then she was falling. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for impact. Hugging her body tightly, she felt herself plummeting; faster and faster. The ninja wondered how high the ledge was above the water and how much farther she had to go, before she reached the bottom. Suddenly a loud buzzing rang in her ears and Yuffie opened her eyes in shock.

As soon as she did, she stopped. The young woman gasped when she saw where the light was coming from. Yuffie immediately closed her eyes, wishing she had never stepped inside the cavern.

* * *

"Cloud."

"Vincent."

The gunman paused. "Are you out on a job?"

"No," he glanced at the inn. "I'm in Kalm."

"I take it you met Barret and he filled you in."

"Yeah…" He sighed.

"When are you returning to Edge?"

"Tonight."

"I'll be back tomorrow morning."

"I heard you went to Nibelheim to investigate the explosion," he stated. "Was it deliberate?"

The gunman let out a deep breath. "It's better if we discuss this tomorrow."

"Okay." Cloud sensed the gunman's unease. "Come to the bar when you get back to town."

There was silence on the line for a minute before the gunman spoke again. "Sure. I'll see you then."

"Vincent." He remembered what Tifa told him. "Does Yuffie know anything about this?"

"Yuffie?"

"Barret said Reeve had her look into the mine situation, weren't you working with her on it?"

"I was," Vincent stated simply.

Cloud sighed. _I guess they really did have a fight_. "So what's this about the new division Reeve is setting up?"

"New division?"

"Wutaianese operations."

"I'm sorry. I know nothing about that," his tone was final and the gunman's silence confirmed this.

"I'll see you tomorrow Vincent."

"Until then. Take care Cloud."

The blonde closed the phone and replaced it in his pocket. _Something is definitely up with those two._ He would ask Tifa if Yuffie said anything to her. Cloud wondered why he hadn't heard about the situation in Kalm sooner. Yuffie didn't usually talk about work and when she did, it was to Tifa. Technically speaking, he and Tifa weren't official members of the World Regenesis Organization, though they had assisted in their operations before.

Barret had been morose all afternoon. Cloud had tried again to get the man to tell him what really happened in the mine with Marlene, but the muscular man had outright refused, saying he already knew the story. This struck the blonde as odd, because Barret really hadn't told him much at all. When he reminded the man, of what he said about not taking his daughter into the mine, Barret's eyes widened and he feigned nescience. Cloud knew the large man cared deeply for his daughter and though he saw her infrequently, he would do anything to keep her safe. Taking her down a mine just didn't make sense.

Cloud wasn't sure what to make of what Barret said to him. Finding a massive stash of gold in a long disused mine was unusual. It was entirely possible, that the gold had been hidden there before Shinra seized control of the village. He wasn't surprised the men had been tempted; from what Barret told him, the gold was of the highest quality. Their apparent disappearances did seem strange on the surface. Cloud thought Reeve was probably right: the men had run off with their weight in gold. Barret had said that when he went back down to check, following their absence, some of the gold was still missing.

The blonde concluded that they probably made up the story, about seeing strange things inside the mine, to cover their tracks while they planned their escape. _But what about the man Barret spoke to?_ According to him, the man was still unaccounted for. He could simply have been their accomplice, Cloud had reasoned to the large man, but Barret seemed unconvinced, though he didn't argue.

Then there was the explosion in Nibelheim. He wondered what Tifa thought about it. They rarely talked about their hometown and the barmaid usually looked uncomfortable when he brought up the subject. He understood how she felt. Thinking about all they lost that night, still haunted him when he allowed the memories to surface.

Cloud placed his glasses over his eyes as he watched the sunset. He glanced at the inn and briefly caught sight of a face in the window. He lifted his hand to wave but as he did so, the face quickly moved from view. _Goodbye Barret._

* * *

Dinner had been much the same as breakfast: the barmaid had eaten alone with Marlene. Tifa hadn't bothered to call Yuffie down to eat; she knew she wouldn't come. After their confrontation in the bar earlier, the ninja had remained in her room and she was left feeling very guilty. _I shouldn't have pushed her._ Tifa considered sending her a text apologising for what happened, but she doubted Yuffie would respond, much less come down and talk to her.

The barmaid couldn't get the image of the tear stained diary entry out of her mind. The thought of Yuffie alone and in so much pain hurt her. The night she held the ninja while she sobbed in her arms, Tifa remembered seeing the sheer terror in her face. The martial artist wished there was a way to reach the ninja, but it seemed all she had succeeded in doing was pushing her further away.

Marlene asked about Yuffie and Tifa had stumbled for an explanation that she was sure the little girl hadn't bought. She knew Marlene loved spending time with Yuffie and was disappointed that the ninja had barely spoken to her since Friday. Tifa thought about opening the bar tomorrow; she had planned to take the week off, to spend with Marlene, and Cloud had agreed to work less days. The barmaid thought it would be good for Marlene and Yuffie to spend some time together and honestly, she needed the distraction. The martial artist stared at the sleeping form of the little girl on the bed and smiled.

"Sweet dreams."

She quietly closed the door and walked down the small corridor. A faint light drew her attention and she noticed Yuffie's bedroom door was ajar. Tifa approached slowly, intending to wish her a good night, but stopped when she reached the threshold.

The ninja was standing naked, in front of the mirror, crying. Tifa was about to avert her eyes, when she glimpsed something that made her take a step closer. She caught the gasp in her right hand and shook her head in disbelief, closing her eyes. When she looked back at the ninja, her gaze was met with a pair of eyes, looking back at her from the mirror. They stood for a second watching each other, before Yuffie turned away. Reanimating, Tifa stepped away from the door and quickly made her way down the hall. She quickly shut the door behind her and held a hand to her chest.

Tifa wanted to pretend she had imagined what she just saw. She wanted it to be a mistake; her eyes playing tricks on her or _something._ She was tired after all. _No._ The look in Yuffie's eyes told her it was real. Tifa had really seen the large scar running down her back. The barmaid sank to the floor and rested her head against the door, tears in her eyes.

"Oh Yuffie, what happened to you?"

* * *

Cloud stepped into the pitch black bar and walked to the kitchen. After grabbing a beer from the refrigerator, he went over to the corner table as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He stopped suddenly and looked up.

"Tifa?"

She didn't answer immediately and Cloud was sure he could make out the movement of the martial artist wiping her eyes. "You're back late." He could tell she was crying.

Cloud moved towards her and sat, placing the bottle on the table. "Yuffie?"

"I'm fine, rea…" He reached for her in the darkness and she went into his arms.

"Tifa, talk to me."

"Cloud," she cried into his chest. "I-I don't know what's going on…"

He could see the the wine bottle on the table and guessed she had been drowning her sorrows for a few hours. She hiccupped a few times in between sobs. Cloud held her tightly and gently rubbed her back.

"It's gonna be okay."

Cloud continued massaging her back and after a few minutes, her small whimpers were replaced with soft breathing. He kissed her crown and sighed. _What happened?_


	6. Chapter 6

The Sun was yet to rise when Vincent approached 7th Heaven. He raised his hand to knock and stopped when it almost came in contact with a face appearing at the doorway.

"_Vincent?_" The barmaid looked startled.

"Tifa," he said, dropping his right hand. "Good morning."

"Morning," she said, tiredness apparent in her voice. "I'll be right back."

The gunman stepped back, allowing the barmaid to pass, and she disappeared into the nearby alley, garbage bags in hand. _Cloud's probably still sleeping. It is just after six. _Tifa returned moments later, smiling at him. The barmaid looked like she had barely slept and Vincent suspected she had recently been crying, judging by her puffy eyes.

"Coffee?" She offered.

"Yes, thank you." He followed her inside.

"Take a seat and I'll just be a sec." She moved to the kitchen. "Cloud's sleeping. Do you want me to get him?"

Vincent looked up. "No. It's fine. I can wait." He watched her frown slightly before turning and continuing on to the kitchen.

The gunman sat back in the leather seat and placed his hands on the table. The journey back from Nibelheim seemed shorter than he previously remembered, perhaps because of his mind being occupied with what he saw in the village. Vincent was not often disturbed by what he encountered working for the WRO. After all he'd learnt during the Deepground incident, he was sure he'd seen the worst of humanity. However, for some reason, he couldn't shake his growing sense of dread.

Tifa reappeared with two cups of coffee on a tray and a selection of biscuits. She set them down and took a seat opposite the gunman. Tifa placed the red mug in front of Vincent and lifted the white, pushing the tray with the cookies to the centre of the table.

"Help yourself," she said, gesturing to the shortcakes.

They sat in silence and Vincent wondered if the martial artist was still upset; she was usually the one who would initiate their conversations. The clock sounded quietly, signalling it was now half past the hour. The barmaid glanced upwards and caught his eye. She returned her gaze to the untouched coffee mug. Vincent watched as she raised the teaspoon and began absentmindedly stirring the contents, which he was sure was cold by now. He flexed his metal arm and the metallic sound seemed to echo across the room.

"Is something wrong Tifa?"

"Hm?" She looked up.

"We've been sitting here for the past twenty minutes in silence."

"I'm sorry," she spoke softly. "How are you? It's been a while."

"It has. I have been…well."

"That's…good, Vincent. I'm glad." Tifa looked at the silver spoon in her left hand and sighed.

"Tifa. If I've done something to offend you…"

"What? No. Vincent it's not that. I mean…" She trailed off.

"I consider you a friend, Tifa. If there is something… You can talk to me." He looked at her sincerely. She didn't meet his gaze. Vincent was not usually one for offering support, but seeing the martial artist this despondent unsettled him. He remembered a certain ninja saying he was a _"sucker for emo girls"_.

"Yuffie," she said quietly.

The gunman narrowed his eyes at the mention of her name. "Tifa?"

"How is she…at work?" She asked slowly.

"Fine."

"How has it been at the WRO recently?"

"Things have been busy, as per usual," he answered noncommittally. She still wouldn't meet his eye. "Why do you ask?"

The barmaid met his gaze and quickly looked away. "I… Just curious is all," she replied. Tifa stood up suddenly and Vincent saw the expression on her face.

"Cloud asked me the same when I spoke to him yesterday." He clenched his left hand slightly.

Tifa looked straight at him then. "I'm worried about her Vincent," she admitted, sitting back down. "She's…not been herself lately. I know she isn't sleeping much and I rarely see her eat."

She closed her eyes. "The other night… Cloud and I, we saw her. It must have been such a vivid drea- nightmare." She shook her head. "She told me before that Reeve put her on sabbatical. She said he was reassigning her to a new division he was setting up."

Vincent quirked his eyebrow at this, but said nothing.

"I think…she called it the Wutaianese Task Force," she almost whispered. Tifa wiped her moist eyes and fixed Vincent with a stare. "I think that's what's bothering her…"

The gunman returned her gaze. "Tifa…"

"Did something happen Vincent? Why would Reeve reassign her?"_ What happened to her back?_

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "You would have to ask Yuffie."

The martial artist gave him a quizzical look. "Wh-"

She was stopped by the sound of footsteps on the stairs and she glanced behind her as Cloud entered the bar.

"Morning," she said, rising and walking to the kitchen. "I'll get you a coffee."

* * *

Yuffie rose slowly and looked around the room. Light was streaming in through the parting in the curtains, heating her feet on the floor. Her head was throbbing and she could taste the bile in her mouth. The ninja tried to stand, but her legs wouldn't cooperate and she fell back down with a painful thud. After trying and failing twice more, she groaned in frustration; tears filling her eyes. Yuffie slowly moved her hand to massage her aching back and withdrew it quickly when she felt a wet sensation. Gingerly, she brought her hand to her face. When she saw the bright red, the ninja felt her stomach jerk.

Yuffie tried desperately to move to the bathroom, but before she could reach the door, her stomach lurched again and she knew what was coming next. The ninja watched as she emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Her throat burned and hot tears trickled down her cheeks. She wiped her mouth and tried not to retch again when she smelt the blood on her fingers. Slowly she pushed herself to the bathroom and grabbed onto the door handle. The ninja pulled her body into a standing position. She glanced behind her and felt the bile rising again. She turned her face away quickly.

_This is bad._ Yuffie felt her body shaking and it took all of her remaining strength not to collapse. Her back hadn't bled like this in weeks. She could still feel the oozing and it scared her. _Why is this happening? _The ninja rested her head against the door and listened to the thumping in her chest. Her eyes fluttered closed. The ninja felt her body sway and she eased over to the bath. She reached for the tap and turned the knob. Yuffie gently climbed in the bath and lay down. The icy cold water stung and she hissed in pain. She looked at the ceiling, trying to ignore the red colouring the bath water.

* * *

Tifa was quiet while Cloud recounted his conversation with Barret in Kalm. The blonde was surprised she didn't react to hearing about Barret taking Marlene in the mine after the men went missing. The barmaid seemed distracted and he was sure he caught her glancing over at Vincent as he spoke. The gunman's face was unreadable, but he seemed to be aware of Tifa's unusual silence, as he looked at her more than he normally would.

"Reeve thinks they ran off with the gold they took. Barret confirmed that some of it was still missing."

When neither of the brunettes responded, Cloud frowned. _What is going on with these two?_

Sensing his uncertainty, Vincent looked at him. "That is likely."

Tifa remained silent and stared at her second cup full of cold coffee.

"Did you find out anything about the gold?"

"Nothing," the gunman supplied.

"Well… Is that good or bad?" Cloud looked over at the sullen brunette as he spoke.

"Neither. It simply means we don't know who hid the gold there or why." Vincent followed the blonde's gaze.

"Barret said you found something with Yuffie and the two of you were looking into it." The blonde remembered.

"Yes," the gunman replied. "It turned out to be a red herring."

The two men were quiet as they looked at the martial artist.

Feeling their eyes on her, Tifa looked up. "Why did you come?"

The question seemed to hang in the air, before the gunman realised it had been directed at him. He glanced at Cloud and saw his puzzled face. He opened his mouth to speak.

"I spoke to the mayor in Nibelheim," he began, looking at Cloud. "He told me what he saw before the explosion."

Tifa faced him, her expression unreadable. "What did he say?"

"They were holding the annual Spring Equinox festival and during the procession a blue mist appeared above the village."

"Blue mist?" The previous Nibelheim residents said in unison.

"Yes," he replied. "They were all surprised at first, until it started changing shape." He paused, glancing at Tifa. "The mayor said it formed a large golden flower. The villagers were amazed and assumed it was part of the celebrations, though I'm not sure why."

"Hibiscus," Tifa offered. "It's our- their symbol of Nibelheim. The golden hibiscus only grows in the Nibel mountains."

"I see. Well that would explain their reaction." The ex Turk paused. "It then changed into a large body of water, that flowed like a river."

"A river?" Cloud directed this at Tifa, who stared blankly back at him.

"Yes, according to the mayor."

"What happened next, Vincent?" The barmaid inquired.

"The river then became a raven. It swooped down on them, before dissipating into specks that glinted like gold. He said they were then plunged into complete darkness." The gunman looked at Cloud. "That's the moment the explosion went off."

"How many?" Tifa whispered.

He paused. "When I left, it was sixty."

The two men watched as the female stood and walked over to the bar. She proceeded to open a bottle of wine and pour herself a generous glass.

Turning back to Vincent, the blonde asked: "Are there any leads on who's responsible?"

"There's been no reported suspicious activity. The only clue was the unused explosive equipment, found on the outskirts of the village."

"Was it a terrorist attack?" They looked up at the barmaid as she poured her second glass.

"It's not clear what their motive was."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Vincent was silent and Cloud understood. _There's nothing any of us can do if there are no leads._ The gunman looked at the clock.

"I should go," he said, rising. "With Reeve gone-"

"Have you heard from him?" The barmaid looked pained for a second. "Did he say anything about Yuf- what I asked about?"

"He…received your message." Vincent said plainly.

Tifa opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as she looked in the gunman's eyes. _"You would have to ask Yuffie." _She folded her arms across her chest.

Cloud looked from the two brunettes and sighed.

"Thank you for the coffee." Vincent walked over to the door. "I'll keep you informed. Goodbye."

"Take care Vincent." The gunman left the bar.

"Ti-" Cloud stopped himself when he noticed that the barmaid was no longer in the room. _What the hell was that about? _He knew Tifa was still upset; he had seen it in her face, when he came down to the bar and found her speaking with Vincent. Did the gunman know what was going on?

Finding Tifa so distraught last night was the last thing Cloud expected to see when he walked in. After carrying her to bed, he returned downstairs to clean up. The barmaid had polished off a bottle of wine along with three beers. She wasn't normally much of a drinker, but Cloud had noticed her tendency to drink more when she was feeling unhappy. He wondered if she had argued with Yuffie. _I thought they talked it over._

Cloud was certain Yuffie had made up the story about being reassigned; Vincent's responses told him as much. _Why would Reeve put her on leave?_ Though she was, at times, cocky and over confident, the ninja was more than a competent fighter; she was also an excellent espionage agent, Reeve told him. The blonde couldn't imagine Yuffie doing anything stupid enough to make Reeve suspend her; she loved her job. Cloud wondered if Tifa knew Yuffie was pretending to be on sabbatical. He could understand why she wouldn't want to say anything, but the blonde thought the lie had gone on long enough, especially with Vincent stopping by. It was only a matter of time before she was found out.

The events in Nibelheim were hard for Cloud to take in. He was sure Tifa also found it difficult to believe. There was no reason he could think of that made their hometown a target. It had always been a peaceful village. The Nibelheim Incident had been the only exception, until now. The thought of so many dead and countless more injured, took him back to that day nine years ago. He wondered if his mother had survived, but he knew that if she had… _Don't go there. _Cloud wanted to speak to Tifa, but with her current mood, he didn't want to cause her any more upset.

He walked to the stairs, deciding to return to his room and rest. The blonde hadn't slept much last night. Cloud paused on the landing and looked to the door at the far end of the corridor. It was after ten and he was sure she hadn't yet left her room. The blonde sighed. _What is it with the women in this house?_ He walked past Marlene's room and saw her drawing a picture. She glanced up at him and held up a small finger, signalling for him to be quiet, and she looked over at the bed. Cloud followed her gaze and saw Tifa fast asleep. The little girl winked at him and returned to her drawing. He smiled.

_Well at least one of them seems fine. _Cloud walked to his room and shut the door. As he eased into bed, the blonde made a mental note to call a family meeting later, and get to the bottom of whatever was going on. He turned on his side and closed his eyes, allowing sleep to take him.

* * *

Yuffie sat on the steps and hugged herself tightly. The ninja knew that her recent behaviour had been unusual and she hated fighting with Tifa; she really didn't know how much longer she _could_ keep this up. She heard Tifa almost say her name. The martial artist had called Reeve to ask about her, and now Vincent knew about it. _How could she?_

Yuffie sat back and winced in pain. She hoped her wound had stopped bleeding. After her bloodbath, the ninja had examined her back in the mirror and was horrified to see the scar replaced with what appeared to be a fresh cut; the sight made Yuffie want to retch again but thankfully, she had no more to bring up. The ninja had bandaged her back as best she could, though she suspected she would have to see a doctor. The wound was much longer than she remembered it being before; it looked like someone had tried to slice open her back.

Listening to the others talk about the gold, Barret and his team found in the mines of Kalm, was a painful reminder of her last mission. She felt the tears sting her eyes and she shakily rose to her feet. _I need to get out of here._ Yuffie made her way carefully down the stairs and walked past the cellar and on to the basement door. She unlocked it swiftly and stepped outside. She looked up at the cloudless sky and inhaled deeply. Holding onto the rickety railings, the ninja ascended the stairs and made her way along the side street behind 7th Heaven.

Edge was still very much a work in progress; it was currently a massive building site. Large cranes stood out in the distance. _At least Junon is more colourful_. The people seemed more hopeful and new stores were popping up across the city, selling anything from hardware and musical instruments, to fancy dress costumes and sex toys.

She walked past a small café and saw the owner serving a table full of giggling women, the ninja assumed were out for brunch. Yuffie didn't stop; she wasn't in the mood for small talk. Johnny was nice, he truly was, but his over eagerness regarding a certain busty barmaid really grated the ninja at times. The guy couldn't take a hint: Tifa wasn't interested. She laughed to herself. The martial artist tried to pretend that she didn't see how into her Johnny was, as if it would suddenly go away. _Why can't we just go back to being like that: laughing and joking? _Yuffie knew the answer; things had changed.

The ninja neared the familiar building and felt herself relax slightly. She walked into the church and saw it was empty, as per usual. Though she was glad the people of Edge had rebuilt the beautiful church, part of her wondered why they had, since no one seemed to use it; she visited regularly and had rarely seen anyone else. There was no active religious organisation worshipping in the building, to her knowledge, and the people of Edge were hardly spiritual. In Wutai, the shrines and temples were presided over by priests and shamans, and they were regularly attended by the townspeople.

She took a seat near the altar and looked up at the stained glass image of Gaia. Yuffie closed her eyes. The only solace she had found, over the past two months, was visiting the church and talking to _her._ The ninja imagined the woman listening to the pain in her heart and washing all her feelings of despair, guilt and shame away. It didn't matter how many years had passed since she returned to the Lifestream; Yuffie still missed her like it was only yesterday. She felt the pink ribbon on her left arm and allowed the tears to fall freely. _I miss you so much._

The ninja was so lost in her silent prayer, that she didn't hear the door to the church open and shut quietly. A man stood for a moment, watching the sobbing Wutaianese woman and he shook his head. Removing his tan cap, he made his way to the front of the church. He took a seat behind the front pew. The young woman was still weeping softly. The man cleared his throat and frowned when she made no reaction, apparently not hearing him behind her.

"Yuffie," he spoke gently.

The ninja immediately stopped sobbing and wheeled round to face him. "Wha- Abe?"

"You've been crying," he deadpanned.

"I-" Yuffie hurriedly wiped her eyes. "Hayfever, you know…" She trailed off, seeing the look on his face.

"You've had me worried since you ran off the other day."

"…sorry. I was just…"

"Scared," he finished.

The ninja looked away at this. She nodded slowly.

"Did I do something to frighten you?"

She turned to face him. "Of course not! I like talking to you," she stated truthfully. "I had a nice time with you in the memorial gardens." She smiled.

"It was good to have someone listening to me prattling on," he chuckled. "My wife liked churches, but ever since… It's just not the same now she's gone."

"Yeah," she agreed.

They were quiet for a while and Yuffie almost forgot Abe was seated behind her, until she heard him sigh. The ninja looked at him.

"Talk to Tifa," he said simply.

Anger flashed across her face at the memory of seeing him leaving the bar yesterday. She turned to face the altar again, folding her arms.

"She's cares about you deeply, Yuffie."

"Don't you think I know that?" She said, still facing the front.

"So why don't you talk to her?"

She stood suddenly, causing Abe to sit back at the motion. "It's not that simple!" Yuffie looked at him then. "I don't need you checking up on me, Abe. You're not my father." She instantly regretted her words when she saw the change in his face; it was brief, but she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"I know I'm not," he said evenly.

"I'm sor-" She stopped when he held his hand up, shaking his head.

"A problem shared is a problem halved. Let Tifa help you, please."

"…no one can help me," she almost whispered.

"Try her," he said, replacing his cap. "Don't underestimate the power of love to heal any wound."

The ninja turned to face him again, tears glistening in her eyes. Could she really tell her? She fingered the white rose pendant at her chest. Abe moved to stand beside her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Yuffie touched his hand, closing her eyes.

"Thank you."

The ninja glanced at the door and took a deep, steadying breath. She knew it would be difficult, but Yuffie realised there was no one left in the world she trusted more.

* * *

Vincent stood outside the Genesis hotel and waited. _He's late, again._ Training new recruits was his least favourite part of the job and he would readily admit: he preferred working alone. The recent additions to the WRO were _very_ green and often had no combat experience. Though they were eager, the gunman found their skills lacking. He would usually not be in charge of 'breaking them in', but with Yuffie on leave for the next few months, he was left covering her responsibilities on top of his own. Vincent wondered how the ninja could be so cheerful about training so many incompetent recruits. _They would never had made it into the Turks, but then again, they do have Reno now…_

The gunman thought the WRO chief was too soft; letting anyone over the age of eighteen join was too basic an entry requirement. If what he had seen over the past year was anything to go by, any boy of age, looking to make a quick buck, had signed up; with little to no idea of what they were getting themselves into. Vincent had not envisaged teaching children how to stand straight, to tie their shoelaces or why being _punctual_ was important. He looked at his watch. _If this grunt doesn't get here in…_

The gunman's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a young Wutaianese princess walking, or more accurately, drifting along the street heading in the direction of 7th Heaven. Her head was down and she seemed to be lost in her own world. The ex Turk had never seen her so dejected and it shocked him so much, he questioned whether it really was the same person he was working with only a week ago. A feeling he couldn't name stirred in his chest. Glancing once more at the hotel behind him, Vincent moved towards the woman.

Yuffie didn't notice the tall man approach her, and she continued at her slow, reluctant pace, back to the bar. When she heard a voice call her name, she jumped, turning to face the source of the noise. Recognising the owner, she turned away and continued walking. Vincent walked beside her, undeterred.

"Yuffie," he tried again, more softly.

The ninja said nothing in reply. The gunman sighed. _It's been months now and she's still behaving like this._

"I didn't see you at the bar this morning."

He watched the ninja stop suddenly and was surprised when she turned to face him.

"_What do you want?_" The gunman could see she was on edge.

"Yuffie." She bristled at her name. "How have you been?"

The ninja looked incredulously at him. "Is that a joke?"

He paused. Vincent could see the anger in her eyes. He didn't want to agitate her further.

"I am sorry about what happened-"

"Sorry?!" She moved closer to him. "Because of _you_ and that _assface _playing tattletale I'm-I…" _I'm off work._

"You haven't been yourself. It was best that you-"

"Didn't _endanger_ the success of any more missions? I knew it was you!" She fumed.

"Look at the way you're behaving."

"You're walking on _thin_ ice, _Vincent,_" she spat. "Don't tell me about_ my _behaviour."

Vincent heard her warning tone. He was silent for a minute and saw the ninja's chest rise and fall in rapid succession.

"Cloud and Tifa are concerned about you," he said slowly. "As am I," he finished quietly.

"You don't get to say that," she said, her voice filled with anger. "You've ruined _everything. _I hate you! You really are a monster!"

Yuffie tried to run, but Vincent caught her arm easily. The ninja squirmed and kicked, trying to break free from his hold. She screamed a string of obscenities at him. Struggling to contain the girl, he turned her to face him.

"Yuffie, what is this about? Did something happen?"

Immediately, the ninja went limp in his arms and ceased her movement. Her eyes glazed over and the anger in her features vanished, replaced with a faraway expression. He eased his grip on her arms.

"Yuffie?" Her sudden change in demeanour was beginning to unnerve him.

Vincent watched the ninja suddenly begin to tremble violently, her eyes closing slowly. She held her chest as the tears spilled from her eyes. He barely heard her speak.

"I c-can't, not h-here…"

He took a step towards her but she backed away, shaking her head vehemently. Yuffie tried to catch her breath and the gunman realised that she was struggling to breathe. Vincent then watched in alarm as she swayed slightly, before collapsing on the pavement. He was by her side in seconds. _Yuffie…_

* * *

Cloud lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He hadn't slept much; thoughts of Nibelheim played on his mind, preventing the blonde from resting. _What was the mist: an illusion?_ Vincent hadn't elaborated on what the WRO thought caused the villagers to see the images in the sky. Cloud wondered what they meant.

He remembered his mother mentioning a rare flower that grew in the Nibel mountains, but he didn't recall seeing it. Tifa seemed to be familiar with it. Cloud knew that the barmaid frequented the mountains often as a child. The water and the raven were a mystery to the blonde. Turning on his side, he concluded they were likely meaningless; the elaborate display was simply a distraction.

He thought about the martial artist. Cloud figured that her distress last night was related to the ninja. _What were they talking about before I walked in? _Tifa's odd behaviour didn't go unnoticed; her question to Vincent had been _rude._ Cloud wondered if the barmaid was just tired; she looked like she had gotten less sleep than he had. The blonde knew he arrived well after 1 am, and he went down to the bar just before 7. It wouldn't be the first time lack of sleep caused her to be less than social. Cloud was surprised the barmaid was silent when he told them about his trip to Kalm. He was so sure the barmaid would question him further about Barret and what the large man had to say for himself.

_I'm definitely missing something here. _He sat up and looked around his room. His eyes settled on the pin board by his desk. He would be back to work tomorrow. There was another small parcel to deliver to the warehouse in Junon. Cloud remembered seeing the woman with the distinctive laugh as he was leaving Kalm with Marlene. He hadn't seen her face in the warehouse. She was surprisingly beautiful; the blonde expected someone with a laugh like that to be less _appealing._ An unwelcome image appeared in his mind. Mentally shaking himself, he stood and walked over to his desk.

As he approached the table, his phone began vibrating. He lifted it from the desk and looked at the screen. _Unknown. _Slowly, he pressed the answer button. Unsurprisingly, there was silence on the other end.

"Who is this?" He wasn't in the mood to be polite.

He grit his teeth when his reply was more silence. Was this a game to them? Cloud was far from amused.

"I asked you a question. _Tell me who you __**are**__. _I'm no-"

Laughter rang in his ear suddenly.

"You think this is funny?"

The laughter stopped and he was sure he could hear a faint sound in the background. Cloud strained his ear to try and make out what it was. _Whispering…?_ The line then went dead.

"Damn it!" He shouted, throwing the phone on his table.

He moved to sit back on his bed. Cloud looked up and noticed Tifa standing in the doorway. Her brows were furrowed. The blonde sighed and patted the space beside him. The martial artist walked into the room and joined him on the bed.

"So that's why you asked who else I gave your cell number to," she stated.

Cloud was silent.

"Maybe," she started. "You should just change your number."

The blonde met her gaze. He wished it were that simple. Cloud wanted to know who it was; something told him it was important, though he couldn't put his finger on why. He knew it wasn't a prank call; they were trying to get to him. _I just wish I knew why._ He felt movement on the bed and saw the barmaid rising. Cloud followed her line of sight.

"Marlene?"

The little girl looked nervously at her feet. Cloud stood next to Tifa.

"Is something wrong?" He inquired.

"It's…" Her voice was small. "Yuffie. She's not in her room and…"

Tifa moved over to Marlene and bent down to look at her. She stroked her face.

"It's okay sweetie. You can tell us."

Marlene nodded and slowly raised her head. "There was a funny smell, I think it was sick and I saw…" She looked Tifa directly in the eyes. "Blood."

The barmaid hugged her and looked over at Cloud. This was bad and they both knew it.

* * *

The gunman walked into his office and saw his phone dancing on the table. He considered ignoring it, but he felt it was important that he answer it this time.

"Hello." He spoke calmly.

"Finally!" She sounded exasperated.

"Tifa? Is somethin-"

"Have you seen Yuffie?" He sensed the urgency in her voice.

"Isn't she at the bar?"

The barmaid paused and exhaled slowly, almost as if she was holding back tears. "No."

"I saw her earlier," he hesitated. "We had a confrontation."

Tifa groaned. "When was this?"

"Just after lunch time." He sat down. "Tifa, I saw her going to the bar."

"Well she's not here and we found- what kind of confrontation?"

"I think that's something Yuffie should tell you herself."

"She's _not here_ for me to_ ask. _I told you she's not been herself. I can tell you know something."

Vincent looked up as a young man walked into the office.

"Did…something happen, on your last mission?"

The gunman quirked an eyebrow at the question. An impatient sigh drew his attention.

"Why do you as-" He was interrupted by a deafening sound and the gunman rose quickly, abandoning the phone.

* * *

Tifa sat on the bed holding a blood stained shirt. Her eyes hurt from crying so much, but she couldn't seem to stop the tears from flowing. The thought of Yuffie being hurt crushed her. When she smelt the sick as soon as she stepped inside her room, she knew something was seriously wrong. Thoughts of the ninja making herself sick filled her mind and she shook her head. _Yuffie wouldn't do that, I know…_ Tifa felt like she didn't even know her anymore. The ninja had changed so much over the past couple of months. Yuffie wasn't the same carefree, happy go lucky, adolescent anymore.

The ninja had left her phone in the bathroom and the martial artist found the bloodied shirt stuffed in the clothes hamper. Tifa thought back to what she saw last night. _That scar, how did she get it? _Tifa hoped to the Gods that Yuffie hadn't cut herself. "No. I _do_ know her. Yuffie's been…" The barmaid tried to think of an explanation. The ninja hadn't complained about being injured on a mission. She was a capable fighter. They had trained together countless times and Yuffie was no pushover; their fights often ended in a draw. She smiled at the memory of them practicing their moves.

Tifa stood, dropping the shirt. Making up her mind, she dried her eyes. The martial artist glanced round the room once more before she left. On her way downstairs, she passed Marlene's room. She heard the sound of a familiar fairytale. The barmaid was grateful that Cloud had volunteered to put the little girl to bed. She just couldn't put on a brave face while she knew Yuffie was out there, hurt and _alone._

Tifa proceeded down the stairs. She looked at the clock. It was almost 9 pm. She took a heavy breath and headed for the door. She _was_ going to find her.

* * *

Tifa had been searching for almost three hours. If it wasn't for the fact that she knew the ninja had left her phone in her room, she would've rung her non stop until she answered. The martial artist didn't want to admit it, but she was getting desperate. Edge wasn't without its dangers. She tried not to think of what could happen to a young girl wondering the streets alone at night. _Please be okay Yuffie, please._

She had been circling the block for a while now, hoping against hope that Yuffie would just come walking down the street, with a goofy grin on her face; saying she'd just lost track of time. Tifa wanted that to happen so much, but she knew as she glanced up at the Moon, that wasn't going to happen; not this time.

Tifa decided to take a different route. She would search all night if she had to. Cloud had called her suggesting that they wait until morning and try looking together. The barmaid told the blonde to let her know _straightaway_ if Yuffie returned to the bar and ended the call angrily. There was no way she was sleeping tonight, not until she had Yuffie back home, safe and well.

She heard a catcall from behind her and it took all her willpower to not look back and tell the guy where to go. The barmaid neared the park and stood by the entrance. It was deserted, just like it had been on all the occasions she'd checked before. Hot tears ran down her cheeks. _Where is she?! _She turned quickly and almost tripped.

"Woah, careful there," a familiar voice spoke.

"Johnny?" Tifa steadied herself.

"What are you- what's wrong?" He saw the tears in her eyes.

Feeling his gaze, she wiped her face. "Have you seen Yuffie?"

"No, I'm sorry." He shook his head sadly.

"She's…" Tifa couldn't bring herself to say it.

"I'll help you look."

"No." She saw the surprise in his face. "I… I have to speak to her." She took a deep breath. "Will you call me if you see her, please?"

"Of course, Tifa, you don't even have to ask."

"Thanks. I should get back to… Bye."

She quickly left the park. The martial artist rubbed her left arm as she felt a slight breeze. _Why didn't I bring my coat?_ Her fingers lightly brushed the pink ribbon and she stopped. Tifa looked up at the Moon again and closed her eyes, sending out a silent prayer.

* * *

The ninja stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She was in complete darkness. Panic prickled in her chest and she sat up quickly. _Not again, please._ Looking forward, she saw something glowing in the distance. Thinking it was just her imagination, Yuffie rubbed her eyes, but when she looked again, it was still there. As she continued staring at it, the light seemed to grow brighter. The ninja slowly got to her feet. She could still feel the fear spiking in her body, but it didn't prevent her from walking towards the light. It was as if it were calling to her. As she walked, Yuffie felt the anxiety begin to fade away. When she reached the doorway, she gasped.

Yuffie stepped outside and followed the path leading to the courtyard. The pool of water was sparkling and the ninja was certain there were more fireflies than she could count. She stood there transfixed by the sight. Yuffie slowly reached a hand out to touch them and felt the energy in her fingertips. _It's so warm._ The fireflies rose suddenly, and seemed to pause, before they began circling the ninja. She felt the heat radiating from their small bodies and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She watched as they flew higher and eventually became a large swirl of bright lights. The ninja closed her eyes, imagining herself flying along with them.

Sensing movement, she opened her eyes and turning, she saw Tifa standing in the doorway. Tifa walked towards her slowly. The fireflies spread out, allowing the martial artist entry. She stood in front of Yuffie and looked in her eyes. The two women stood quietly for a second, watching one another, while the fireflies continued swirling around them. The ninja took a nervous step towards the barmaid.

"Tifa, I'm sorry-" She broke into sobs.

"Yuffie," she said, taking the girl's face in her hands. "You have nothing to apologise for, okay?"

The ninja didn't resist when the martial artist pulled her into a hug. Yuffie cried into her chest, hugging her tightly. Tifa held her tenderly, stroking her hair. The fireflies seemed to grow brighter then, and both women felt the electricity in the air. After a while, Tifa pulled back and Yuffie looked up at her, puzzled.

"Let's go home," she whispered.

"Yeah." She smiled through her tears.

Tifa held out her hand and Yuffie took it. At that moment, the fireflies separated and slowly began ascending. The barmaid squeezed the ninja's hand and felt a head on her shoulder. After watching the lights finally disappear, they made their way out of the church. The martial artist looked back at the face in the stained glass window, above the entrance. _Thank you. _


End file.
